Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon
by heroes1202
Summary: Following the fall of Organization XIII, an lost ancient world returns, strange occurrences befall the worlds and only the Keyblade master can uncover the truth. Part 1 of my Kingdom Hearts III story. Features chapters 1 - 58 of main story.
1. Ch 1: The Legend on Destiny Islands

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 1: The Legend on Destiny Islands_**

Deep within the realm of the Dark Meridian, a lone black figure stands staring out at the sea. He is a grim appearing figure, completely covered from head to foot in pitch black armor and a red cape on his back. A smaller Heartless, appearing as a knight, appears by his side and drops to one knee before him. The man glances at him.

"What news do you bring?" he said in a deep voice. The Heartless began chattering in an unknown language before he looked away, staring back out at sea.

"The Keyblade? It has....returned, has it?" he asked. The man chuckled and dismissed the Heartless. He glanced up at the moon.

"Hmm. I think it's about time that I see this new Keyblader. Maybe introduce myself a little..." he said. He reached for his sword by his waist and drew it. It was a massive sword with many black armor plates going as far as the tips, with jagged edges and a Heartless logo at the handle. Meanwhile, our story continues on Destiny Islands, where Sora is laying down at the beach edge looking up at the clouds.

"Ah. Nothing like kicking back, relaxing and watching the clouds roll by." Sora said. As he rested his hands behind his head, he soon saw Kairi looking down at him.

"So here you are." Kairi chuckled. Sora looked up and grinned.

"Hey Kairi. What's up?" Sora asked.

"Oh...nothing." Kairi said. She sat down besides Sora and sighed.

"Just wondering where you were. That's all." Kairi said. As she looked up at the sky, she could hear the waves rolling in and the seagulls cries overhead.

"It's really beautiful today, isn't it?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded without a word.

"Yeah. The kind of day that makes you just wanna forget everything and just relax." Sora said. But just as Sora felt like drifting to sleep, he got a ball chucked at him. He groaned as it bounced off his gut and into the sand. He looked back and saw Riku.

"Hey! Don't even think about it lazy boy." Riku said. Sora groaned.

"Riku....geesh. You didn't have to give me a wake up call." Sora said. Riku huffed.

"Oh really? And I suppose you would've kept yourself awake?" Riku chuckled. He glanced at Kairi who looked away.

"And what's YOUR excuse Kairi? I thought you said you were going to get Sora. That was half an hour ago." Riku said.

"Well, I was. But when I found him, I just decided to kick back too. Can't a girl relax now and then?" Kairi asked. Riku groaned.

"You two are just....ah, never mind. But hey, if you're not too busy, I thought we'd go check out that mysterious spot out on the other island." Riku said. Sora didn't figure out what Riku meant until Riku pointed towards the appropriate island.

"Oh right. The island where something crash landed a while back. I almost forgot." Sora said. Riku chuckled and soon started to laugh.

"I knew it. Sora? You're hopeless." Riku said. Sora sneered as he quickly got up and raced off, leaving Riku behind. He quickly stopped and looked back at Riku.

"Oh really? Then let's see you prove it Riku! Come on!" Sora called. As Sora started off again, Riku chuckled and chased after him with Kairi not far behind. But at the beach edge, the faint images of Roxas and Naminé appear.

"The sea...it's so beautiful." Naminé whispered. Roxas smiled.

"It sure is. I'm glad I get to share it with you." Roxas said. He rested his hand on hers in the sand and they looked at each other. Naminé looked away with a smile and Roxas blushed. As they watched the sea, Sora, Kairi and Riku were on a boat heading for the island. They docked at shore and turned to see a small forest of trees before them.

"Wow. The plants on this island sure grow big. We should've gotten the logs for our raft here." Sora said. Riku approached the trees and his Keyblade appeared.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get chopping. The forest is thick, so the Keyblade should probably make a good axe." Riku said. As Sora summoned his, Kairi extended her hand hoping for hers to return. She sighed.

"Kairi? What's wrong?" Sora asked. He glanced at her hand and instantly knew.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to call for your Keyblade too. Just give it some time." Sora said. Kairi sighed and nodded. Riku led the way as they entered the thick forest. When the paths ahead were blocked, Riku and Sora swung their Keyblades and cut the trees down.

"Man. It's a lot thicker than I thought." Riku said. But neverless, the trio pressed on and soon found themselves deep within the woods. Just then, Sora noticed something that caught his attention.

"Hey! Guys! Look over there!" Sora exclaimed. The others glanced to see what appeared to be a ship crashed in the ground. It was old and worn out, appearing as if it was made from strong metal. The plant life had grown around it as vines covered it from nose to rear.

"Is.....that what I think it is?" Riku thought. They approached it and upon closer examination, it appeared to be an ancient Gummi Ship.

"Hold on. Isn't this a Gummi Ship?" Sora asked.

"Gummi Ship? You mean what you traveled in with Donald and Goofy?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded and began to pull the vines off, revealing some kind of encryption on the ship's side. It was in some strange language that Sora couldn't decipher.

"Hey guys. Look." Sora said. On the wings were two symbols. The left wing had a heart and the right wing had a crown emblem on it.

"A heart....and a crown?" Riku said. Kairi saw the ship was severly damaged and it's visor was cracked. The wings were also damaged.

"It looks pretty beaten up. What happened to it?" Riku asked "Is this...Is this the thing that crashed down here all those years ago?" Sora remembered that the story was something had crashed landed on Destiny Islands at least twenty years ago. But looking at the Gummi Ship, it appeared like it was here longer than that.

"Okay. This is weird. Why would this be here?" Kairi asked. Sora had no idea, wishing he could call Donald, Goofy or at least King Mickey at Disney Castle.

"We can't. With the Heartless threat calming down, the worlds aren't connected anymore." Riku said. But just then, they heard a scurrying sound coming towards them. They turned to see Shadow Heartless emerging from the bushes.

"Heartless?! When did they get here?!" Sora exclaimed. They all bunched together with the Heartless closing in.

"Guess I was a bit wrong there." Riku said. The Heartless began attacking and Sora and Riku worked to fight back. Without her Keyblade to help, Kairi had to resort to protecting herself with a strong branch. But it couldn't damage the Heartless and she would've been attacked before Sora slayed any approaching Heartless.

"Thanks Sora." Kairi said. Sora nodded as the Heartless began closing in more. Suddenly, Soldier Heartless emerged from the trees also.

"Here comes round two! Look sharp Sora!" Riku called. But just as Sora braced himself, a lightning bolt shot out and scared the Heartless. It was followed by a flying shield striking them down.

"What the? Was that...?" Sora said. Tracking the shield with his eyes, Sora saw Donald and Goofy hurrying over.

"Donald? Goofy?!" Sora exclaimed. He hurried to his friends and they met with a big group hug. Goofy's additional weight toppled them and they just laughed.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy laughed. Riku and Kairi watched with a smile as Sora reunited with his friends.

"Guys! What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Disney Castle." Sora asked. Donald and Goofy looked at each other.

"Well, we did. But the King sent us here on a mission." Donald said.

"Huh? The King did?" Sora asked. Goofy and Donald nodded as Goofy pointed out that they were receiving a strange S.O.S. signal coming from somewhere around here and his son, Max, was sent out previously to find it. They've had little contact with Max in a while and King Mickey sent Donald and Goofy to find him.

"You have a son Goofy? What does he look like?" Kairi asked. Just as Goofy was about to say, they heard someone yelling.

"Hey. What the?" Riku said. The yell grew louder as Goofy listened carefully. He laughed.

"Whaddya know! It's Maxie! I recognize his voice anywhere!" Goofy exclaimed. Sure enough, it was Max rushing past the group. He came screeching to a stop when he saw Goofy.

"D...Dad?!" Max gasped. Goofy chuckled.

"Maxie! There ya are son! What's all the commotion about?" Goofy asked. Max stopped to catch his breath.

"Run dad! There's some crazy psycho chasing me! And he's not that far behind!" Max shouted. Suddenly, the trees behind Max began falling. And from them, they revealed the black armored knight.

"Gah! He's here!" Max shouted. Sora and Riku gasped and gripped their Keyblades. The knight looked at Sora and chuckled.

"So, here you are....Keyblader. What a fortunate turn of events for me. However, I imagined you a bit bigger." he said. Sora huffed.

"Don't be fooled pal! Now who are you?!" Sora shouted. The knight reached for his blade and drew it. With some strange magic, it glowed and grew larger in size.

"Why should I bother....when you'll be dead soon enough?" he said. He pointed his blade towards Sora and the tip nicked his nose. Kairi watched nervously as neither Sora nor the knight moved.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" the knight asked. Sora looked firmly at his face.

"What? Don't YOU wanna make the first move?" Sora asked. The knight chuckled.

"If you insist. Although, one swing....is all I need." he said. Just as he drew his blade back to strike, a giant light shot outward from the Gummi Ship. The knight gasped as the light blinded him and a sudden burst of energy thrusted outward and blew him away. Everyone watched completely shocked.

"Okay. What just happened?" Riku asked.

"It....It was like some weird force protected us." Kairi said. Suddenly, a light was glowing inside the Gummi Ship's cockpit. From an opening in the glass, a strange light orb came flying out. It stopped and the others stared at it.

"What's that? A fairy?" Donald asked. Sora looked closer and thought it was Tinkerbell. But before he could grab it, the light began taking off again.

"Hey. Where's it going?" Max asked.

"Quick! Follow it!" Riku firmly shouted "Before whoever that guy decides to come back for another try." They quickly dashed after the light, following it through the forest. It took them a bit farther in than they previously were.

"It's quick. I don't think I can keep up." Kairi said. When the light finally stopped, Sora and the others were soon staring at a large temple like structure before them. Around the entrance were rock carvings, taking the shape of old Keyblades.

"What's this thing?" Sora asked. Kairi approached the doorway and rested her hand against a pillar. It suddenly began glowing as blue trails of light started glowing on the pillars.

"Wak! What's going on?!" Donald yelled. The ground began to shake a bit. But it wasn't an earthquake. Something was opening up within the temple.

"An earthquake?" Sora asked. Riku shook his head.

"No. I think something inside there just opened up." Riku said. He turned to the others, asking if anyone felt brave. Even with Max feeling a bit wigged out from his previous encounter, they followed Sora and Riku into the temple.

**_TO BE CONTINUED...._**


	2. Ch 2: The Sacred Temple

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 2: The Sacred Temple_**

As Sora and the others entered the temple, an eerie feeling was surrounding them, feeling like someone else was here. They descended down the staircase and found themselves in a passageway, probably a few feet from below the sea around Destiny Islands. The walls were made of solid rock and glowing lustrous orbs were embedded in the walls for light.

"Whoa." Sora muttered. On the walls, drawings seemed to have been painted across the walls and showed many people holding Keyblades.

"Okay. This place is really giving me the creeps right now." Kairi said. Donald felt the paintings and rubbed his fingers afterwards. The paint appeared to have been old and the old paint chipped off Donald's fingers.

"Wow. This day just got weirder." Max said. Sora and Riku continued down the passage with the others close behind.

"Hey...Sora?" Riku whispered. Sora glanced at Riku.

"What?" Sora asked.

"You have the weirdest feeling like there's some strange energy in the air?" Riku asked. Sora looked around before asking Riku what he meant.

"I don't know. I just....felt it....the moment we set foot in this temple. Something's here." Riku said. Sora looked around but doubted Riku's words. He also doubted that anything could be down here.

"Gawrsh, this place is really empty. Isn't there anything we can do to liven the place up a bit?" Goofy asked. Donald shushed Goofy.

"Be careful Goofy. We don't know what's down here. There might be Heartless." Donald whispered. Goofy nodded.

"But, still Donald, you gotta wonder why everything feels so quiet around here." Max said. The group continued to press on down the passage. When they entered another room, they found another hallway.

"I'm starting to think this is maybe a bunch of underground channels. We must be deep below the islands by now." Sora said. But what caught his eye quickly afterwards was a long line of statues up against the passageway's wall. They all seemed to be unique individiuals who, surprisingly, each had some strange Keyblade in his or her hands.

"Sora...look. Aren't they....Keybladers?" Kairi asked. Sora suddenly remembered what Xigbar said to him at Organization XIII's stronghold, saying Sora wasn't "half" the hero the others were.

"So, are these people really Keybladers?" Goofy asked. Donald looked closely at each statue and shrugged. Sora saw some kind of enscriptions by the bases of the statues. But due to age, they appeared hard to read.

"Hey Riku, Kairi, look. I think this says something." Sora said. The others gathered round as Sora tried to read the panel. It was on the base of a statue that appeared as an elegant maiden with a Keyblade. The faint writing read:

_Born of pure light,_

_this princess did wie.... Keyblade._

_However, her own...... was her undoing ..... she broke herself off from the dark._

"Broke herself from the darkness? How?" Donald asked. Sora shrugged.

"Everything else after that is all worn out." Sora said. He looked at the other statues and wondered who could've made all of them.

"Hey. I just realized something. Perhaps who ever sent out that S.O.S. signal could be inside this temple! Maybe he did all this." Max said. Goofy doubted that, considering how old everything appeared. Riku glanced at the walls.

"Hmm. There's some kind of opening here. I can feel air coming from here." Riku thought as he felt a nearby wall. He tried to open it, but it was locked down tight. Just then, as Sora was glancing at the other statues, he gasped from shock.

"Sora! What is it?" Kairi asked. Everyone hurried over to see the last statue on the trail was actually Sora himself!

"But....that's YOU Sora." Goofy said. Sora nodded as Riku looked to the left of Sora's statue. To it's left were statues of Mickey, Riku, Kairi and even Roxas.

"Hey. Is that...?" Riku said. The others looked down the line and stared at Roxas' statue.

"Roxas?" Sora said. Just then, he heard someone calling him. Sora looked back and saw Roxas!

"Ro....Roxas?! But what are you doing here?" Sora asked. Roxas glanced at himself.

"I....I don't know. I just showed up the minute you said my name." Roxas said. He looked around at the temple they were in and asked what happened. Riku began to explain as Kairi saw someone else. Looking at her statue was Naminé.

"Naminé?" Kairi said. Naminé glanced at Kairi and was shocked.

"Kairi? Where did...How did I...?" Naminé said before they heard something happening. The wall next to Sora's statue was beginning to open up.

"What's going on?" Donald asked. Sora glanced at the opening.

"It's another chamber. Why don't we go take a look?" Sora said. But before he could, he could feel Kairi's hand stopping him.

"Sora, wait. I think we should turn back and leave. Things are already starting to get creepy around here and going in there could be trouble." Kairi said. Sora figured that since they were here, they should at least see what this temple has to offer. Kairi sighed as Sora went into the chamber and the others followed. There was not much except four statues of the same person in the corners of the room and in the center was a Keyblade lodged in a rock. The style appeared to be Ven's Keyblade.

"Wow. Is that....a Keyblade?" Goofy asked.

"It looks really old." Max said. Somehow, Sora felt someone was calling his name from inside the Keyblade. He slowly walked towards it and touched it's handle. Sora glanced at the entire blade before trying to pull it out.

"Sora! Wait! It could be a trap!" Kairi shouted. But Sora, with all his strength, couldn't pull Ven's blade from the rock. He called to Donald and Goofy to help and they came rushing over. They all pulled together and with one forceful yank, Sora pulled Ven's Keyblade right out of the rock and they stumbled back.

"Hey! Ya got it!" Goofy exclaimed. Sora chuckled as he held Ven's blade in his hand. It has enormous powers sleeping within it, as Sora was the only one to sense it.

"So, now what?" Riku asked. Just then, the ground began to rattle as a force pushed Donald and Goofy out of the room and collided into Riku and Max. Suddenly, a snake like darkness began emerging from the hole where Ven's blade was. It lashed out and grabbed Kairi! Riku tried to catch her, but a barrier had forced them out.

"No! Sora!" Kairi shouted. Sora tried to catch Kairi as she whisked by but missed. The darkness tied Kairi to a post in the center before dispersing into more Heartless. But these didn't look like the ones Sora and others faced before. They seemed to be pure evil and had no Heartless symbol at all.

"Kairi! Don't worry! I'll save you!" Sora shouted. He tried to fight through but one Heartless merely swatted him down. Sora groaned.

"No way. They're...They're tough. But I'm...I'm not going to let them take Kairi! Not again!" Sora thought. Just then, Ven's blade began to glow as it freed itself from Sora's grasp. The blade began to glow brightly as another figure was appearing. When the light faded, Sora could see the new person clearly. It was Ven, the Keyblader's previous wielder. His armor completely covered Ven's entire body.

"Who...Who are you?" Sora asked. Ven turned to face Sora, but quickly made him realize they were still in battle as Sora struck down an approaching Heartless.

"Stay alert!" Ven shouted. Sora and Ven stood with their backs to each other as the Heartless closed in. The two lunged for the Heartless and began swinging their blades, almost in similar fashions. Ven was slicing down Heartless with only one swing as Sora had to strike more than once.

"Wow! He's good." Max said. Ven suddenly unleashed a blistering fast combo and the Heartless were falling apart at the seams. Sora managed to strike down another before he was ambushed from behind.

"Grr! Get off!" Sora shouted. He forced the Heartless off him and started attacking faster. With Ven's help, Sora and Ven were able to completely wipe out all the Heartless. Sora gasped for breath as Ven approached.

"You okay?" Ven asked. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. You're really good. Who are you?" Sora asked. Kairi was freed from the post as she came rushing to Sora. However, after she was freed, the remains of the Heartless began gathering in the center of the room. They molded together and created what looked like a shadow doppleganger of Lexeaus, a member of Organization XIII.

"Here it comes! Get ready!" Ven shouted. The Heartless Lexeaus roared as it leaped at Sora and swung it's giant axe, crossing paths with Sora's Keyblade. Sora was able to force the Heartless back and deliver a clear swing down the center of it. Lexeaus roared in pain and stumbled back.

"Hey. This guy's a weakling. Come on. Let's get this guy!" Sora shouted. Ven nodded and joined Sora in furiously attacking the Heartless Lexaeus. But it roared and struck them with it's giant axe, sending them skidding back.

"Okay. Guess I was wrong." Sora said. The Heartless Lexeaus roared and came charging at Sora. But as Kairi hurried over to help, Ven automatically slayed the Heartless with a lightning fast strike up the center of it. It roared and vanished into nothing. Sora sighed as Ven withdrew his blade.

"Now then, you were asking who I was?" Ven asked. Sora turned to Ven and nodded. He removed his helmet and revealed his face. Sora was a bit surprised to see Ven's face looking like Roxas'.

"My name is Ven, a Keyblade Knight who fought alongside my friends, Terra and Aqua, to find Master Xehanort and quell the disturbances across the worlds." Ven said. Sora gasped when he heard the name "Xehanort" again.

"Xehanort? But...that guy's a Heartless. At least, that's who he was when I met him." Sora said. Ven sighed.

"Then it is too late. Master Xehanort has fallen into the darkness." Ven said. Just then, they heard the lone sound of a cane tapping the ground. Sora, Ven and Kairi returned to the hallway and found a short man in a star and cresent moon decorated cloak. He kept his face hidden under the hood.

"I should have known. The Keyblade has returned." he said.

"Who are you?" Riku asked. The short man chuckled.

"You may call me Michael. However, how should I address all of you?" Michael asked. Goofy chuckled.

"Oh that's easy. We're Sora, Kairi, Riku, Max, Donald and Goofy." Goofy said. Roxas also introduced himself and Naminé.

"A pleasure. It would seem that you've stumbled into our quaint little home. How thoughtless of me not to greet you sooner." Michael said. He saw Ven emerging from the doorway besides Sora.

"Ven, looks like you woke up as expected." Michael said. Ven nodded and removed his helmet. Roxas gasped as he saw his own face under the hood.

"Whoa. You...You look just like me." Roxas stuttered. Riku bent down to Michael's eye level.

"So, can you tell us where we are?" Riku asked. Michael nodded.

"You are in the Sanctuary of the Heart, a haven to all Keyblade bearers. Here, you will find the Keyblades of every Keyblader who came to existance since the dawn of light and darkness..." Michael said. Everyone gasped but Ven.

"Every.....Keyblader?" Riku muttered.

"That came into existance...since the dawn of light and darkness?" Sora muttered. Everyone couldn't believe their ears. It sounded like Michael meant there had been Keybladers ever since the worlds themselves were created. But no one was sure to believe if this was true or not.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	3. Ch 3: Awaken the Power

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 3: Awaken the Power_**

Inside the temple, Sora and his friends met with Michael as he explained more about the temple and it's mysteries to them. Ven was also present as he stood from afar. He explained that this temple was more of a sanctuary for lost Keyblader souls after their departure from the "living" world.

"So, this place really does have every Keyblade in existence here?" Riku asked. Michael nodded.

"Yes. In fact, it's been my job to collect Keyblades and the Keyblader's soul after they've left this world. Though some perish in battle, others by dark magic or by old age, I save their souls from being devoured by the darkness and seal them inside their Keyblades. By doing so, this haven now becomes their home." Michael said. Sora asked about how he could have statues of Sora, Kairi, Riku and Roxas if this temple was as old as he said.

"Oh. That's what my little friend here is for." Michael said. With a flick of his wrist, the small light sphere that Sora had been following appeared again.

"Hey! It's that little fairy." Kairi said. The fairy flew around Sora and soon nestled into the hood on his jacket.

"What's it doing?" Sora asked. Michael chuckled.

"Tell me Sora. When you entered that special realm, the one where it feels like you are dreaming, but you're not...." Michael said before Sora gasp.

"Wait a minute! You know that world?" Sora and Roxas asked. The two suddenly glanced at each other.

"Yes. The Awakening is what it is called. Now, tell me, when you were in that world, did you ever....hear someone talking to you? Telling you not to be afraid of what lied ahead?" Michael asked. Sora gasped again.

"Wait. You mean....that voice was....?" Sora said. Michael nodded, revealing the voice Sora heard was him. He used the small fairy to hide somewhere on the Keyblader's body and his voice would be able to be heard by that person so long as the fairy stayed on them.

"I saw something great within you and your Nobody. So, when I had the chance, I sent my partner to urge you on towards your true potential, as I have done with other Keybladers before you." Michael said.

"Then, I guess I should thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably never believe anything I saw after then was real." Sora said. Michael smiled.

"Oh now, come on. Don't worry about something like that. Besides, if you can, there is one teeny, tiny favor I would ask from you." Michael said. Max asked what it was and Michael asked them to awaken two other Keybladers whose souls were also sealed away, naming them "Aqua" and "Terra", Ven's allies when he was alive.

"Wait. These guys are your friends Ven? Then, can't you...?" Sora asked.

"Sadly, I can't. When you're a soul like me, you cannot really interact with much of anything. I'm just happy to have this place to call my new home." Ven said. Even though Sora accepted the favor, Michael said that only his friends, Kairi and Riku, could free Aqua and Terra.

"What do we have to do?" Kairi asked.

"It's nothing that hard. You will probably need to free their Keyblades and go through a small trial like your friend did." Michael said.

"You mean an Awakening period?" Riku asked. Michael nodded.

"Yes. But I warn you that you may be facing something of your worst fears in that world. Not every realm is the same for each Keyblader." Michael said "All you have to do is visit the chambers of Terra and Aqua, touch their Keyblades and I shall take it from there." Riku and Kairi nodded.

"Good luck guys. We'll hold down things here until you get back." Sora said. Kairi nodded and hugged Sora.

"Wish me luck Sora." Kairi said. Sora smiled and hugged Kairi back.

"Good luck Kairi. I know we'll see each other again." Sora said. Kairi followed Riku as Michael opened a new hallway, leading towards Terra and Aqua's Keyblades. Kairi approached Aqua's Keyblade and grasped the handle, taking a sigh before closing her eyes. Riku did likewise. Two small floating fairies then landed on a part of their clothing and they were taken into the Awakening.

"You think they'll be okay? I'm a bit worried." Goofy said. Sora crossed his arms.

"Don't worry. They'll be back. If I know my friends, they'll definitely come back." Sora said. Suddenly, the temple grounds began to shake. It rattled the statues and caused Goofy to fumble. Max stepped back slowly.

"Whoa! What's...What's going on?!" Sora shouted. Michael warned Sora to move as he looked back. Sora, Donald and Goofy looked behind them and suddenly, the wall behind them exploded. The trio lunged forward as the smoke cleared, revealing a long viper Heartless with a mark inbetween it's eyes, purple tipped fangs and red decals going down it's pitch black body. It's eyes glowed bright yellow.

"Wak! A Heartless!" Donald exclaimed. Max gasped.

"Oh geez! Not another one!" Max shouted. But suddenly, another similar snake head appeared and it had similar features except it had blue decals going down it's body. Suddenly, it was revealed that this was actually one Heartless as it was a snake Heartless with two heads.

"No. Not them again. This could only be the work of...HIM." Michael said. Suddenly, they heard a laugh echoing as someone appeared in a dark cloud. It was the black knight with his giant sword.

"You!" Michael exclaimed. Max gasped and ducked behind Goofy, who joined Sora and Donald in drawing their weapons. Ven and Roxas also called for their Keyblades, with Roxas obtaining Oblivion and Oathkeeper.

"Michael....so THIS is where you've been hiding all this time. How unbelievable that I haven't noticed it until now." he said. Michael groaned and with a flick of his wrist, his cane transformed into a silver Keyblade with a dark blue handle and a group of stars as a keychain.

"I never thought you'd show your horrible face around here again. Why are you here?" Michael asked. The knight laughed and faced the group.

"Why? Because I felt like it. Is that so wrong? Besides, I wanted to see if you were really as alive as I thought you were. And I was right. So, how do you like my new pet?" he asked, petting the snake Heartless' side.

"That thing....is your PET?!" Max exclaimed.

"Yes. He's a person of absolute darkness, able to conjure up any horrible Heartless monstrosity at his whimsy. I just never imagined he would be doing it still." Michael said. Sora looked questionably at Michael's words.

"You never did see my gift as something you could accept. Well, I came to MAKE you accept my gift. Go! Vipera! Show these light dwelling fools what darkness can REALLY do!" he shouted. His snake hissed and roared, causing the entire cave to rattle and the passageways to Terra and Aqua's chambers to be blocked off by rockslides from above.

"Kairi! Riku!" Sora exclaimed. Suddenly, barriers went up and trapped them in the main hall with the snake staring them down and the black knight vanishing. On the snake's two heads, dark blue Heartless marks suddenly etched inbetween their eyes and they seemed to be made of actual blue fire.

"Sora! Look out!" Donald shouted. Sora nodded.

"Be careful! I fear this Heartless is more dangerous than those you have met before." Michael said. One of the heads coughed up a bunch of eggs and they hatched into Shadow Heartless. The group charged at the Heartless while, back in Terra's chamber, Riku was in a fierce fight with a Heartless clone of himself. It wielded his original blade, the Soul Eater, but in a more twisted and evil form. The platform he stood on had himself asleep with Sora on one half and Malificent on the other.

"Return to the darkness Riku. It is your only chance of survival at this point." it said. Riku huffed.

"Yeah right. I tried the power of darkness, but it just didn't suit me. Besides, I thought I was rid of you for good." Riku said. The Heartless Riku chuckled and lunged for Riku, meeting as their blades clashed.

"You don't get it, DO you Riku? I CAN'T be vanquished that easily!" Heartless Riku laughed. Riku groaned and forced his Heartless side away and leaped for it.

"Never!" Riku shouted. With onle slash, he caught the Heartless off guard and slayed it. As it evaporated, Riku groaned and fell onto one knee.

"Phew. That was....a little more difficult than I thought." Riku said. As he stood up again, he didn't count on seeing a pair of red eyes flash in his shadow. Meanwhile, Kairi was trying to fight back a Heartless that seemed similar to the giant Darkside, but it had longer hair and a more female body.

"Get away! Stay back!" Kairi shouted. The Heartless roared and shot a giant punch directly at Kairi. But when she raised her Keyblade in defense, a large light flashed from it and forced the Heartless back. It was so strong that the giant fell onto it's back. When Kairi looked again, she saw someone standing before her.

"Who...Who are you?" Kairi asked. Before her stood a young woman with short blue hair and a Keyblade in her hand. It was Aqua.

"A friend. Don't worry. I'll help you. But you need to trust me." Aqua said. She turned to Kairi and extended her hand. Kairi was surprised at first, not sure what to make of it.

"Wait. Are you...Aqua?" Kairi asked. Aqua nodded as she asked Kairi again for her hand. Kairi slowly reached for Aqua just as the Heartless rose back up. When their hands met, a light shined and Aqua vanished once the light faded. Kairi just stood there, eyes closed and her arms down, as the Heartless neared her. Suddenly, Kairi's eyes opened and they glowed light blue.

"Don't even think about it. I am going to take you out." Kairi said. She extended her right hand and Aqua's Keyblade appeared. She held both Keyblades in her hand and stared at the Heartless' face. Back in the temple, Sora lunged for the Heartless and unleashed a violent combo attack to the right head. Goofy whipped his shield at the other like a frisbee and Max, armed with a miniature version of Goofy's shield on his arm, rammed it into it's face.

"Thunder!" Donald squawked as lightning flashed down. Michael quickly leaped at the Heartless, striking both heads with a single combo. But one of the heads lashed out it's tongue and whiplashed him into the ground by his ankle.

"Cursed monster." Michael groaned. The snake's fangs glowed dark purple and it's head lunged for Sora.

"I have a pretty good feeling that's nothing I wanna get bitten by!" Sora exclaimed. He leaped aside as the right head of the snake bit down, unfortunately getting it's teeth stuck in the ground.

"Now Roxas!" Sora shouted. Roxas and Ven lunged for the trapped head and unleashed a quick combo attack at it's face. The snake broke away and roared in pain. Sora started to catch his breath.

"I don't even think....our attacks are doing a scratch." Sora said. Donald squawked.

"It HAS to be! Just keep attacking it!" Donald shouted. The snake heads hissed and roared, lunging for both of them.

"Take this!" Donald shouted. He unleashed a fast Blizzard spell from his staff and froze both snake's jaws in ice.

"Go for it Goofy!" Donald shouted. Goofy leaped for the Heartless and rammed his shield into the left head's jaw, causing the ice to shatter and inflict a powerful strike to it's jaw.

"See? Wak!" Donald exclaimed before getting his leg caught by the snake's tongue.

"Donald!" Sora shouted. Donald was chucked into the head and squawked in fear as he was descending directly towards the snake's open mouth!

"Donald!" Goofy shouted. But suddenly, the sealed doors to Terra and Ven's chambers exploded and sent most of the collapsed rubble through the barrier and ramming the snake in the heads, long enough for it to miss Donald and Sora caught him.

"What was that?" Roxas asked. Michael glanced and smiled.

"The Awakenings are complete..." Michael said. Emerging from the doorways were Kairi and Riku, both wearing Terra and Aqua's armor and carrying their Keyblades alongside their own.

"Kairi? Riku?" Sora asked. With a single swing of his blade, Riku completely destroyed the barrier blocking them and Kairi fired a powerful blast of magic directly at the Heartless. It roared and started flailing around like it was confused.

"What the?! Yike!" Max shouted. The Heartless couldn't take it anymore and fled through the hole it made. Sora sighed.

"That was a close one. That Heartless is unlike anything I've ever seen him create before. I hope none of you have to face that monstrosity again." Michael said. Sora turned to face his friends, seeing them glowing in their armor before they reverted back to themselves.

"What happened? I felt....like I had enormous power just a second ago...." Kairi said. Riku glanced at his hand.

"Yeah. Me too." Riku said. But just then, Michael felt an uneasy disturbance inside the temple.

"Michael? What is it?" Sora asked. Michael gasped.

"No. It cannot be. The Keybladers. They are....They are gone!" Michael said. Sora and the others gasped.

"What?!" they all shouted.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	4. Ch 4: Depart for Adventure

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 4: Depart for Adventure_**

Sora and Michael looked around the temple for whatever it was that gave Michael such a spook. In each of the chambers containing a Keyblade, Michael could sense that there was nothing here. Somehow, all the Keyblader spirits that were sealed in this haven were gone.

"You know, it must've been that dark knight fellow that did this." Goofy said.

"Then that Heartless was nothing but a diversion." Max said. Donald couldn't believe he fell for something as cheap as a Heartless decoy.

"It's okay guys. We didn't realize it either. Besides, if we didn't take on that Heartless, more than the wall would be destroyed." Sora said. Riku nodded.

"I'm...I'm just so worried about the other Keybladers. They're now liable to be caught up in another world's problem or even get themselves sucked up into darkness. I can't believe he'd stoop to this." Michael said. Kairi asked who he meant and Michael was referring to the dark knight.

"Do you know him? You guys seemed to know each other." Sora said. Michael nodded.

"Yes. He's...He's actually the first Keyblader to ever come to be. But also, he's the first to be succumbed by the power of darkness. Back when the Heartless....were more monstrous and evil like the one we recently faced." Michael said. The others gasped.

"Really? That guy's a Keyblader too?! But....he didn't look like he had a Keyblade..." Donald said. Michael said that it remained hidden underneath his sword's cruel and dark armor.

"What would he want with the other Keyblader souls? I don't get it." Kairi said. Michael could very well tell what he wanted. If the dark knight had captured the Keybladers and took away their abilities, he would be able to become a powerful force and his darkness could very well engulf every world.

"What?! No....No way." Max stuttered. Sora couldn't believe it. Riku's eyes widened a bit from the shock.

"But...what about these ancient Heartless? How do they affect all of this?" Sora asked.

"Before Ansem found the Heartless and helped them return to this world, they existed before. But they were more cruel and savage, going after every living thing. It was only thanks to the efforts of the strongest Keybladers to seal them away....hoping they would never resurface." Michael said. But Riku was sure they had, taking on the forms of the smaller ones he and Sora have met.

"Yes. Sora? I know we've only just met, but, I need a very big favor of you. Please, can you find the lost Keybladers and help them find their way back?" Michael asked. Sora nodded.

"But...what about the dark knight guy? Can we even BEAT someone like that?" Max asked.

"Of course we can Max. We can't let him get away with this." a voice said. Everyone looked towards the voice and saw Mickey. He held his Keyblade at his side.

"Your Majesty!" the others exclaimed. Mickey smiled and waved.

"I just caught ear of what you were saying earlier. And I've gotta agree with you when I say that we can't let the ancient Heartless loose." Mickey said. Michael smiled.

"Yeah. Don't worry. We'll bring them back. Right?" Roxas asked. Naminé agreed with Roxas.

"But...the dark knight may be someone of whom you cannot defeat alone. Sora, listen to me closely. You need to put together a team. A team of your best friends, allies who you would trust in battle. Only together can you save the Keybladers and defeat the darkness." Michael said. Sora was a little bit shocked since that would mean he would need to try and convince friends like Aladdin, Jack Sparrow and the others to leave and come with them.

"If it's for the good of the worlds, then we'll do what we can." Mickey said.

"Yeah. Come on guys. Anyone feel up for another adventure? We can't do much just standing around here." Sora said. Everyone nodded.

"Yeah. Let's get going!" Donald shouted. Together, everyone exited the temple and returned to the ancient Gummi Ship. Roxas and Naminé, only able to be seen by the temple's magic, vanished along with Ven, returning to their real selves. Sora glanced at Mickey.

"Oh, your Majesty? I forgot to ask before. But how did you get here?" Sora asked. Mickey chuckled.

"The same way Max, Goofy and Donald got here Sora. See?" Mickey said. He gave a whistle and from the skies above them, a Gummi Ship was coming in for a landing. The only difference was it seemed a bit bigger than the one Sora traveled in with Donald and Goofy.

"So, all aboard?" Mickey asked. Following the king, everyone boarded the Gummi Ship and waved goodbye to Michael as it took off.

"So how did it go? Did you awaken the other Keybladers?" Goofy asked. Riku and Kairi nodded, showing them Aqua and Terra's Keyblades. Sora, Donald and Goofy chuckled.

"Way to go guys. Now we should be ready for anything the Heartless will throw at us." Sora said. Mickey piloted the Gummi Ship as it left Destiny Island's world and headed out into the vast space.

"So, where to first everyone?" Mickey asked. Just then, they recieved a radio signal from Chip and Dale back at Disney Castle.

"Hey there guys! Glad to see ya!" Chip exclaimed.

"Yeah! Welcome back Sora!" Dale added. Sora chuckled.

"Say Chip, Dale? What's the closest world to where we are? We're on a search and we need somewhere to land." Mickey said. Chip went to check and the closest world their scanners picked up was a world that seemed to be a town nestled gently beneath a twilight sky.

"A twilight sky?" Sora asked. But after a short pause, everyone knew where Chip meant.

"Twilght Town!" Donald exclaimed.

"Yeah. Maybe Twilight Town is a good place for us to start." Riku said. Kairi agreed and so did Mickey. With their course plotted, they traveled across space before seeing Twilight Town before them.

"All right guys. Twilight Town, here we come." Mickey said. The ship began entering Twilight Town's atmosphere and after passing through it's twilight sky, they saw the town below. Mickey landed the ship in a wide area outside of town and the others progressed inside.

"Since we're here, maybe we should check up on the others. I wonder how Hayner and the others are doing?" Sora asked. Kairi looked around the town, feeling that she never really got to see Twilight Town much last time.

"If they're still here, they should be at their hangout." Goofy said. Sora agreed before he was bumped into by someone. Sora stumbled a bit.

"Hey. Watch where you're going." Sora said. The figure looked back and groaned. Sora and Donald gasped, seeing that the face was Seifer.

"Oh great. Not YOU guys again." Seifer said. Just then, Fuu, Rai and Vivi came hurrying to Seifer's side after they saw Sora.

"What the? Where did you guys come from?" Rai asked. Sora wasn't happy to see Seifer either, remembering how much of a jerk he was then.

"I see YOU haven't changed Seifer. Never wanted to see you either." Sora said. Donald nodded.

"Losers." Fuu muttered. Kairi felt a little annoyed by Fuu.

"So, what brings you back in town then? Thought we saw the last of you at the Old Mansion. Guess that was just hopeful thinking." Seifer said. As Sora figured Seifer was looking for a tussle, he was about to before he heard someone. He looked and saw Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"Sora? Hey! It is! Sora!" Hayner called. Sora waved as the others hurried over.

"Kairi! You're here too? That's great. And Donald and Goofy too!" Olette said. Donald and Goofy chuckled.

"Man. You had us worried for a while. We never saw you guys after you went to that other Twilight Town." Hayner said. Sora apologized for worrying them before Seifer ruined the moment.

"Look at this guys. Looks like the loser crew is all together. How cute is that?" Seifer said. Rai chuckled as Vivi fixed his hat.

"Ugh. Give it a rest Seifer. We're not going to get insulted by your pathetic comments." Hayner said. Seifer growled.

"What was that? You better watch it blondie. Or you're gonna...!" Seifer growled but Kairi broke them up.

"Stop it. Can't you two get along?" Kairi asked. Mickey sighed.

"Is he like this Sora?" Mickey asked. Sora nodded and crossed their arms.

"Well, hey. Since you guys are back again, maybe you can help us with something." Pence said. The others glanced at Pence.

"Like what?" Goofy asked.

"Well, a while ago, we keep hearing really weird sounds coming from around town when it's night. We tried to find the source of it, but keep turning up nothing. Think you can help?" Pence asked. Sora glanced at Riku.

"Sure. We can help." Sora said. Olette sighed.

"Thanks. To tell you the truth, those weird noises have been ruining my good night's sleep." Olette said. Seifer huffed.

"This again? I keep telling you that there's nothing there. Fine. To prove it once and for all, I'll go with you and be there when we prove it." Seifer said. Hayner groaned, but figured he had no choice. Following Pence, they headed back to their special spot in the alley.

"Do you guys see anything yet?" Pence asked. Everyone peeked down the alley nearby and saw it was a bit dark.

"Sorry Pence. But I don't see anything." Sora said. Seifer huffed.

"See? What did I...?" Seifer said. But Riku suddenly cut him short by shushing him. Everyone became silent as they heard a quiet humming and trash cans being moved around.

"Hey. Someone's down there." Goofy said. Sora led the others into the alley and when they found the source, it turned out to be Pete rummaging through trash barrels.

"Wait a second. Does this guy look familiar to anyone?" Sora asked. Pete looked back and groaned, not fully seeing Sora's face.

"What are you squirts doing here? Can't a guy make an alley his home without some kind of disturbance? This is the fifth alleyway I've been through and I ain't planning on moving anytime soon." Pete said. The others felt kinda confused.

"Excuse me. But what are you saying?" Olette asked.

"What I'm saying is..." Pete said as he fully turned around. But just like that, he froze up at the mere sight of Sora, Donald, Goofy and Mickey.

"What?! Oh man! You guys AGAIN?!" Pete exclaimed.

"Pete?!" the four of them exclaimed.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	5. Ch 5: Twilight Town Chaos

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 5: Twilight Town Chaos_**

Pete joined Sora and the others inside Hayner's secret place and was left crying and sobbing on the ground like a big baby. The others kept their distance from Pete, especially Donald since he was too creeped out by Pete's sudden outburst.

"What is WRONG with this guy?!" Seifer groaned.

"I don't know." Olette said. Goofy slowly approached and asked Pete what was wrong before Pete grabbed him in a tight hug.

"Oh Goof! You don't know how hard life's been for me lately! I'm a wreck!" Pete sobbed. Goofy slipped free as Kairi approached.

"What happened? Where's Maleficent?" Kairi asked. Pete sniffled and started remembering back to Organization XIII's stronghold. As he and Maleficent held back the Heartless, the top of the tower, broken off by Xemnas' giant dragon was coming down directly at them and would easily cause the entire castle to fall. Strangely, Maleficent used her magic to send Pete away to another world as she and the Heartless were caught in the castle completely collapsing upon itself. When Pete was whisked away, he wound up in Twilight Town.

"Wow. I can't believe it." Max said.

"So...Maleficent is dead?" Riku asked. Pete wasn't sure what to say, but she must've been since Pete hasn't heard from Maleficent since.

"Then, what are you gonna do? The only reason you worked for Maleficent was because she freed you from your exile." Mickey said.

"I know that. I just...I just don't know WHAT to do. I feel completely pathetic." Pete said. Seeing Pete continue to cry, Mickey smiled and extended his hand towards Pete. Pete stopped crying when he saw Mickey's hand.

"Then, why not come back with us Pete? I think you've had enough." Mickey said. Donald and Goofy gasped.

"But your Majesty! What about all the trouble Pete caused back at the castle?!" Donald squawked. Mickey chuckled.

"Everybody deserves a second chance Donald. And seeing Pete like this, I think he deserves one." Mickey said. Pete started to build tears as he grabbed Mickey, Donald and Goofy in a tight hug.

"Oh! You guys are the greatest! Thanks a lot!" Pete exclaimed. Sora chuckled as he watched the three getting squished by Pete. Max was just lucky he wasn't caught up in it as well.

"How sweet is that?" Sora chuckled. Donald groaned and pushed himself free before reminding Pete that Sora thought it was a great idea also. Sora gasped and quickly denied it before Pete caught him too.

"Uhh...yeah. Nice to see you helping us.....Pete." Sora groaned. After Pete released Sora, Kairi giggled and Riku smirked.

"But, hey, why are you guys here anyway?" Pete asked.

"We're trying to find the lost Keyblader souls from an ancient temple on Destiny Islands, Sora's home world. We've gotta find them or every world out there could wind up consumed by darkness." Mickey said. Pete scratched his head in confusion.

"Keyblade what now?" Pete asked. Donald and Goofy sighed.

"Maybe we should give you guys the whole story." Riku said. Sora nodded in agreement and sat everyone down to explain things.

"So, that's what you've been fighting with? A Keyblade?" Pence asked. Sora nodded as he shown his to the others. Hayner thought it was kind of a weird weapon. Seifer just thought it was plain stupid.

"Hey. If we didn't have these Keyblades, the Heartless might very well consume this world and you guys would be without a world right now." Sora said. The others gasped.

"Wow. Talking about the Heartless really DOES make them sound scary. Are you sure you guys haven't seen any around here?" Olette asked. Riku nodded.

"Don't worry. We haven't spotted a single Heartless yet, so I think we're safe." Kairi said. But Riku pointed out that the Heartless would come after anyone, craving the darkness in their heart. But even with all the logic, Seifer still wasn't believing them.

"Hey. It does make sense though. Maybe that's what those weird white things we saw last time are." Pence said.

"No. Those were Nobodies, an empty shell left behind by someone who became a Heartless. But they're pretty much gone now." Sora said. Olette sighed.

"That's a relief. I never liked those things anyway." Olette said. Hayner figured, after hearing everything Sora told them, that he would need all the help they could get since Sora was trying to form his team.

"Sora? You can count on us to help. I think we owe you for saving our town from the Nobodies." Hayner said. Sora chuckled.

"Thanks Hayner. That's what I was just about to ask." Sora said as he shook Hayner's hand. Sora glanced at Seifer.

"Count me out. I STILL don't believe you or your crazy story. If the Heartless ARE real, then let's see one. Maybe THEN I'll believe you." Seifer said. But just then, they heard a loud crash coming from the Sandlot downtown.

"Hey. What was that?" Pete asked. Hayner hurried to the doorway and veered out.

"It sounded like it came from the Sandlot." Hayner said. The others quickly raced down towards the Sandlot, only to see a giant creature smashing the buildings around it. People ran in fear past them as it's rampage continued. Sora could easily identify what it was. It looked like a giant Large Body crossed with Guard Armor, but had giant steel spiked balls for fists.

"Whoa! What.....What is that?" Olette gasped.

"A Heartless." Sora said. Hayner watched as Sora, Donald and Goofy drew their weapons. Max told the others to step back and they did, all but Seifer, who was curiously watching the Heartless. On the large Heartless' chest was a flaming blue Heartless mark.

"That's....a Heartless?" Seifer asked. Sora nodded. Suddenly, Fuu, Rai and Vivi showed up across the other side of the area and saw Seifer.

"Seifer!" Fuu called.

"Look out Seifer!" Rai shouted. The three of them hurried over to Seifer before the Heartless noticed them and attacked. It struck the ground and caused Fuu, Rai and Vivi to fall to the ground.

"Guys!" Seifer exclaimed. But Sora stopped him by raising his arm. Suddenly, the same evil laugh was heard. Up above, the dark knight appeared.

"It's him! The dark knight!" Mickey exclaimed. Pete saw the knight and was quickly shocked by the size of the sword on his back.

"So, dat's the guy you were talking about?" Pete whispered. Mickey nodded. The knight chuckled and waved his hand towards Sora.

"Go Crushor, destroy the kid and the Keyblade." he said. He drifted away as the Heartless raised it's fist and launched it towards the group. They quickly ran from the attack, but the attack caused Hayner and friends to fumble and the destroyed building side collapsed, blocking the way behind them. Goofy and Donald rushed over to help.

"You all okay?" Goofy asked. Suddenly, a barrier shot up around Sora and Crushor. But it also blocked most of Sora's friends and Seifer's crew from helping, leaving Pete and Seifer with him.

"Oh man. Seifer? You think you're tough? Well, time to prove it." Sora said. Seifer looked around quickly, trying to find a weapon. But luckily, Fuu found a broken off pipe from Crushor's previous attacks and threw it to Seifer. Seifer managed to grab it and held it tight.

"Fine. I'll show you just how tough I am. Let's do this." Seifer said. Sora drew his Keyblade and led Pete and Seifer in a charge. Sora leaped for the Heartless and unleashed a combo attack at it's chest, forcing it back with the final strike. But it struck back by firing one of it's giant fists at Sora, knocking him into the ground.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed. Seifer came at it in a charge, but he was easily knocked away. Pete yelled and came charging at the Heartless' left leg. He rammed into it and caused the Heartless to nearly lose it's balance. As the iron ball reeled back, Sora quickly got back up and took it's moment of off balance to fling the Keyblade like a boomerang at it's other leg. It knocked it off it's foot and the Keyblade came flying back to Sora.

"Seifer!" Sora called. Seifer nodded and turned towards the charging Sora. With his hands together like a step, Seifer gave Sora a jumping boost into the air and with his Keyblade, Sora struck the Heartless directly into the chest. The strike caused it to crash hard into the ground.

"You're mine now!" Seifer yelled. He came charging at the Heartless and took a big leap before delivering a diving strile towards it's chest. The impact, plus the damage Sora did earlier, caused it's armor to crack a bit. Pete also fired a group of fire crackers at one of it's feet. The explosions caused one of the feet to completely explode. But still, the Heartless got back up and now was fighting with only one foot.

"Hmph. No matter." the knight said. With a snap of his fingers, the Heartless' body completely broke into pieces and now his head, torso, arms and foot were floating separately from it's body, almost mimicing Opposite Armor.

"Look out! That Heartless is not kidding around!" Mickey called. It roared and fired both of it's steel fists at them. While Sora and Pete dodged, Seifer was tripped up and was struck by the other to the side. He yelled in pain and fell to the ground.

"Seifer!" Fuu, Rai and Vivi exclaimed. Seifer groaned and clutched his side, dropping his lead pipe.

"Man. That....That really hurt. And....that's it? All I could do was make that small of a crack?" Seifer thought. As he groaned, the Heartless saw Seifer in pain and came towards him.

"Seifer! Get out of there!" Sora shouted.

"Move it idiot! You're gonna get crushed!" Hayner exclaimed. But Seifer didn't listen to them and shakily stood back up, still clutching his side. He reached down for the pipe and grabbed it with his left hand. The Heartless suddenly had a confident grin.

"What are you grinning at.....ya loser?" Seifer said. The Heartless raised it's fist and prepared to deliver a final blow to Seifer. Seifer suddenly groaned and dropped to one knee.

"Seifer!" Sora shouted. The Heartless began swinging it's iron fist like a lasso over it's head. Seifer was badly hurt and his side was not agreeing with him.

"No. I....I can't lose. Especially when....those idiots are watching..." Seifer thought. His sight became blurry and he felt like he was going to pass out. The Heartless prepared to fire.

"Come on Seifer! Get up! Get up! You HAVE to get up!" Olette shouted. The Heartless fired it's giant steel ball at Seifer.

"No! I won't lose! I KNOW I can win! If anyone can hear me, whoever gave Sora that silly Keyblade....please. I need more power. I want more power. Not to just protect the town or my group, but I want to WIN!" Seifer shouted in his head. Suddenly, Seifer's wish seemed to be granted as the steel ball was suddenly flung back and crashed to the ground. Everyone gasped.

"What in the world?!" Pence shouted. Max, Donald and Goofy were completely shocked. Seifer was getting back up and he was glowing a bright aura. The hand that once held the steel pipe was glowing. And in place of the pipe, a new weapon was born from it. It became the Hyperion, Seifer's Gunblade.

"Seifer...." Fuu muttered. Seifer clutched his sword with both hands and grinned. He laughed.

"Yes....Yes! Now THIS is power!" Seifer laughed. He eyed the Heartless' shocked expression.

"All right big guy. I just got one thing to say to you." Seifer said. As everyone looked on, Seifer closed his eyes and gripped his sword's blade tightly before flashing them open again.

"Kneel, LOSER!" Seifer shouted. He took a big leap at the Heartless and delivered a powerful diving strike to it's cracked torso, completely shattering it. Sora gasped.

"No way! Even I couldn't do a strike that powerful!" Sora shouted. The Heartless growled and roared as it's remaining foot, fists and head floated in a group. Seifer chuckled.

"Is that it? Don't leave me hanging!" Seifer shouted. He came back at the Heartless as it fired both steel fists at him. But with one swing, Seifer sent both steel balls flying away and destroyed one of them. The dark knight gasped from surprise.

"No way. It's not possible. How could a mere human like HIM do....?" the knight said. Sora hurried to Seifer's side as he approached the remains of the Heartless. It snarled and prepared to try one final attack.

"Hey Seifer, don't count me out of this fight yet. Got me?" Sora said. Seifer glanced at Sora and chuckled.

"Fine by me. Just don't get in my way." Seifer said. The Heartless fired it's last fist at them, but the two avoided it and leaped off it. Clutching their blades tightly, Sora and Seifer unleashed a twin, down the middle, slash to Crushor's head, causing it to roar in pain.

"So long....loser." Seifer said. Crushor's head roared and dropped like a lead rock, causing a heart to fly free from it's gaping mouth. The knight, deciding this was not worth his time, left in a dark portal. After the Heartless faded away, Sora and the others joined up again in the Market District of town.

"You guys were amazing!" Olette exclaimed.

"Yeah. And Seifer, I never thought I'd see you like that! You were just incredible, ya know?" Rai added.

"You guys were both incredible. You beat that Heartless all by yourself." Vivi said. Sora looked at Seifer.

"Well Seifer, we probably have to be going now. We still have to find the other Keybladers and it's obvious that if we stay here, Heartless are bound to start showing up." Sora said. Mickey agreed and whistled for the Gummi Ship. However, as Sora walked off with the others, he felt someone grab his wrist. He looked back to see Seifer.

"I don't think so. I'm going with you." Seifer said. Everyone gasped.

"W...What do you mean?!" Sora exclaimed. Seifer huffed.

"Now that I have this power, you think I'm just gonna sit back and let you guys have all the glory to yourselves? No way. Besides, maybe I'd like to see just what's out there. I ain't gonna stick around here forever." Seifer said. Sora glanced at Hayner.

"Don't worry Sora. We'll keep watch of Twilight Town for you. Maybe even Seifer's gang will help out too." Hayner said. Mickey threw something to Hayner, a small communicator.

"Here then. If you notice any Heartless activity or anything suspicious, you can use this to contact us." Mickey said. Goofy looked back at Pete.

"Well Pete, are ya coming?" Goofy asked. Pete looked back with his arms crossed.

"I just realized something. If I DO help, what's in it for me?" Pete asked. Mickey chuckled.

"Well, I do know a certain someone who'd love to see his dad." Mickey said. Max snapped his fingers.

"Oh. You mean P.J." Max said. Pete gasped.

"P.J? My little son P.J? You know where he is?" Pete asked. Mickey winked.

"Don't forget little Pistol too. If you help us, I promise you'll get to see your kids again Pete." Mickey said. Pete started to sniffle a bit again before giving a salute.

"Count me in!" Pete said. Sora sighed, fearing another of Pete's hugs. So, with Pete and Seifer, everyone boarded the Gummi Ship again and waved goodbye to Hayner and the others as it took off.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	6. Ch 6: Radiant Garden Awaits

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 6: Radiant Garden Awaits_**

Leaving Twilight Town behind, Sora and the others continued on through the vast space on their way to their next world. Seifer got a good glimpse of outside, pretty amazed at how Twilight Town looked from here. His sword was resting by his side.

"That's Twilight Town? Unbelievable." Seifer said. Sora nodded.

"This is kind of what we do Seifer. I just really hope you're okay with leaving home." Sora said. Seifer took one last look at Twilight Town before looking away.

"I know the others will be okay. Besides, those Heartless ought to pay for even thinking about attacking my home." Seifer said. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Well, glad to have you with us Seifer." Goofy said. From afar, Pete was staring out into space with Kairi at his side. Pete sighed.

"Are you all right Pete?" Kairi asked.

"Oh. Yeah. No big deal. Just wondering about me little son P.J. Wonder what he'll say when he sees his old man again." Pete said. Kairi looked concerned as she patted Pete's back.

"I'm sure P.J. will be really happy to see his father again. And I'm sure, if he knew about what happened all that time ago, he'll forgive you." Kairi said. Pete sniffled and wiped his eyes.

"Thanks. You know, you kids are real swell." Pete said. Kairi smiled and glanced at Riku at the front with Mickey.

"Now where should we try? I don't think the Keybladers would've appeared so suddenly. And I didn't notice anything strange when we were at Twilight Town." Riku said. Mickey checked the scanners.

"Hmm. Welp, I think I found somewhere else we can look. We just got another world on the radar." Mickey said. The others approached Mickey as he brought up the radar screen before them.

"That looks like...." Sora said. Kairi gasped.

"That's....Radiant Garden." Kairi said. The others looked at Kairi.

"Radiant Garden....that's your home, right Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi nodded.

"Okay then. To Radiant Garden we go." Mickey said. But suddenly, they were attacked by something from behind.

"Wak! What was that?!" Donald squawked. Mickey widened the radar and it revealed Heartless vessels approaching from behind.

"Enemy ships off the starboard bow!" Mickey exclaimed. The Heartless ships fired at the Gummi Ship rapidly, nearing landing strike after strike.

"Where did they come from? We didn't run into any when we went to Twilight Town." Kairi said. Riku groaned.

"Don't we have anything to fight back with?!" Riku asked.

"Nope! This isn't like the Gummi Ship the three of us use. This is the King's official Gummi Ship! It doesn't HAVE weapons!" Goofy shouted. The ship continued to rattle from the blasts.

"Hang on everyone! I'm gonna try and activate our rocket boosters. Just hang onto something and hope we don't crash!" Mickey shouted. Everyone hurried to the sides and grabbed something as Mickey activated the thrusters. When they activated, it caused a sudden burst of speed and catapulted them directly at Radiant Garden. The ship came soaring into the town's atmosphere and came to a crash outside of the town walls.

"D'oh. My head." Pete groaned. Mickey opened the door and he emerged with the others, feeling a bit shaken up from the crash.

"That was fun." Goofy mumbled. Donald groaned.

"Your Highness, can we NOT do that again....EVER?" Donald asked. Mickey agreed.

"Well, since we're here, let's head for the town." Seifer said. The group progressed to town and found themselves a real surprise. Radiant Garden, once known as Hollow Bastion, had been completely restored. The buildings were repaired and the town seemed to be flourishing once again.

"Wow. Leon and the others sure have been busy." Sora said.

"Well then, let's go see them." Goofy said. Mickey nodded and the others followed Sora towards the Hollow Bastion Restoration Commitee Center. Pete looked around.

"This town really is pretty. What did you say this place was? Radiant Garden? Huh. Maleficent kept calling it Hollow Bastion." Pete said. Just then, Sora and Donald saw someone. It was Scrooge at what appeared to be an ice cream stand.

"Uncle Scrooge?" Donald asked. Scrooge looked back and chuckled.

"Well, bless me bagpipes! Donald! And Sora and Goofy too! How are you boys?" Scrooge chuckled.

"Great Uncle Scrooge. How's Huey and the others?" Donald asked. Scrooge said the boys couldn't be better back at the castle. Kairi looked at the sign by the ice cream stand and it had Scrooge's face on it.

"What's this? Is this place yours Scrooge?" Kairi asked. Scrooge nodded.

"Ay. That it is my dear. You see, after I finally got that confounded sea salt ice cream recipe down, I decided to open up me own little ice cream parlor in town. And let me tell ya, I've been making more money than I originally thought." Scrooge said. Also, Scrooge wanted to let Sora and his friends have a taste of the great frozen delight that brought him so much. He gave everyone before stopping last at Pete.

"What the?! Pete?!" Scrooge exclaimed. Pete nervously chuckled.

"What...What is this big lumox doing here?!" Scrooge shouted. Donald calmed Scrooge down and Mickey explained everything to Scrooge. Still a bit weary after hearing everything, Scrooge still gave an ice cream bar to Pete.

"Thanks for the snack. We're actually looking for Leon and the others. Do you know where they are?" Sora asked. But just then, he heard someone say "Why not ask me?" for all to hear. Sora looked up on a ledge and there stood Yuffie, wearing her Advent Child clothes.

"Hey! Yuffie!" Sora called. Yuffie smiled and waved.

"Yo Sora! Long time no see! What's going on Keyblade master?" Yuffie chuckled. She leaped down and joined the others.

"Great to see you Yuffie." Goofy said. Yuffie smiled and glanced at Kairi, Riku and Pete.

"Hey Sora, I see you found your friends after all. Well? Aren't you going to introduce me?" Yuffie asked. Sora chuckled and introduced Yuffie to Kairi and Riku.

"Nice to meet you Yuffie." Kairi said.

"We were just on our way to find Leon. Do you know where he is?" Mickey asked. Yuffie nodded.

"Sure. I can lead you there in a.....what? Oh no! Look out!" Yuffie said. Suddenly, Sora looked behind him before a Soldier Heartless lunged for them. The others jumped back.

"A Heartless!" Donald squawked. Soon enough, more of the same Heartless arrived, scaring the nearby patrons. Yuffie thought Kairi would be in trouble and began leading her to somewhere safe. Sora and the others stayed back to face the Heartless.

"Get ready boys!" Mickey shouted. As the Heartless growed, they all leaped at them and Sora's group lunged at them. A fight broke out and Sora's side was on the advantage. But strangely, as soon as the Heartless were knocked down, more Soldier Heartless showed up and replaced them.

"Oh boy. This can't be good." Riku said.

"Man! Where are they all coming from?!" Seifer shouted. After he struck down another Heartless, Seifer was attacked from behind and was knocked down.

"Seifer!" Sora shouted. When Kairi was safe from the Heartless, Yuffie drew her shuriken and prepared to head back. However, two other figures dashed by her in a flash. Yuffie sighed.

"Come on guys. Why do you ALWAYS do this?" Yuffie sighed. Back at the battlefield, Sora and the others were completely stumped by the Soldier Heartless continuing to multiply.

"Phew...there's....just too many of them." Pete panted. Donald fell down from exhaustion and so did Goofy. Sora and Seifer seemed ready to give also.

"No way. How can they just keep coming?" Sora asked. Riku panted heavy as the Heartless just stood there watching. They all cackled before lunging at once. But suddenly, two figures arrived and unleashed fast and powerful strikes, slaying the last of the Heartless. Sora looked at the closest one and saw a shimmering shine against his weapon. Sora looked upward and recognized him as Leon. The other was Cloud.

"Cloud? Leon?" Sora asked. Leon went back and helped Sora back onto his feet.

"Hey Sora. You guys all right?" Leon asked. They nodded as Cloud made one last look around.

"Doesn't look like there's anymore Leon. Maybe we finally scared them off." Cloud said. Leon doubted that, since the Heartless were coming in bigger numbers lately.

"The Heartless have already been here?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah. Just a while ago, we kept seeing groups of them popping up in large numbers. The others have been having a hard time trying to cope with all this." Cloud said. Sora asked how Leon knew where they were and Leon smirked.

"Two things. One, we heard all the fighting and two, I had a feeling I knew someone who could cause a Gummi Ship to crash. It's good to see you again too Sora." Leon said. Sora chuckled.

"Very funny Leon." Sora said. Yuffie and Kairi came rushing over.

"Sora! Are you guys okay?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded.

"Oh man. Why do you two get to have all the fun whenever the Heartless show up?" Yuffie asked. Cloud sighed.

"Maybe because you're a bit slow Yuffie?" Cloud asked. Yuffie groaned.

"I am NOT slow! I had to get Sora's friend somewhere safe and I was just coming back!" Yuffie shouted. As Yuffie shouted, Sora asked Leon what was going on.

"Well, aside from the Heartless showing up, we don't know. You all should probably come to the Commitee center with us. The others are there." Leon said.

"Sounds good. Let's go." Mickey said. But before they left, Seifer and Leon got a good look at each other. Seifer's eyes narrowed.

"Why does looking at you seem to tick me off?" Seifer asked. Leon huffed.

"That's just what I wanted to ask you." Leon said. Seifer huffed and looked away, but still followed Sora and the others towards the Commitee Center.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	7. Ch 7: Hiding Darkness and Awake Chaos

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 7: Hiding Darkness and Awakening Chaos_**

Sora and his friends finally arrived outside the Restoration Commitee base and stepped inside. When they entered, the first people they saw was Cid, Aerith, the Gullwings and a new woman. Unknown to them, the new woman's name was Rinoa Heartilly.

"Hey everyone. We're back. And guess WHO happened to show up?" Yuffie asked. Cid and the others looked back and Aerith automatically smiled.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy...it's so great to see you." Aerith said. Cid chuckled.

"Heh heh. Whaddya know? Welcome back Sora!" Cid chuckled. Sora waved as Yuna, Rikku and Paine flew over to him and checked out how taller he got since they saw him last.

"Hmm. Wow. You really haven't changed, have you?" Rikku asked. Sora looked questionably at Rikku.

"That's funny. I could say the same thing about you three." Sora said. Donald nodded in agreement. Rikku was about to say something but then lost it.

"Touche." Rikku said. Yuna smiled.

"It's still great to see you're all okay. We prayed for your safety after you left." Yuna said. Paine looked away with a nod.

"So, what happened?" Paine asked. Sora took the time to explain everything with Organization XIII and the Nobodies after leaving Radiant Garden previously.

"Well, glad to see you and your friends are back together." Cid said. Sora nodded.

"Oh yeah. Leon? What about Tron? Is he okay?" Sora asked. Leon chuckled.

"Tron couldn't be better. I'll tell him you said hello." Leon said. Just then, a large magical poof appeared behind them.

"Oh great. The old loon's back." Cid said. In the cloud, Merlin appeared with a huff.

"Watch it you. Next time you call me that, you're going to be in a world of....eh?" Merlin said before spotting Sora. Kairi and the others waved.

"Ho ho! Sora my boy! How wonderful to see you again." Merlin said.

"Same to you Merlin." Goofy said. Leon glanced at Pete.

"Say Sora? Isn't this the guy you told us about last time? Pete?" Leon asked. Pete nervously chuckled.

"Yeah, well, Pete's on our side now. We'll explain later. For right now, we probably should focus on the Heartless." Mickey said. Cid sighed.

"Let me guess. Leon and Cloud told ya the story, eh?" Cid asked. Riku nodded.

"Where are the Heartless coming from? You guys have any leads?" Riku asked. Leon sighed.

"Unfortunately, we don't. So far, these Heartless attacks are just coming more and more each day. When we met you, that must've been the sixth time the Heartless attacked in such a large number." Cloud said.

"Not to mention tracing the source of them is like finding a needle in a haystack." Rinoa said "But if you're like Leon and the others have told me, Sora, you should be able to get to the bottom of this." Sora nodded.

"Sure. No problem. Plus, with my friends helping, that should be no problem. Right?" Sora asked. The others nodded.

"Yeah. In fact, I'd like to know what's going on here also." Max added. Agreeing to help Leon and friends, they all headed out and separated to search the town. Out in town, Sora was partnered with Seifer and Cloud.

"Okay. Where we should start first Cloud?" Sora asked. Cloud pointed out that a large collection of Heartless mostly formed around the town's plaza.

"Well, let's go then." Seifer said. Sora glanced at Seifer and asked if he had healed from the fight earlier, as Seifer seemed to have been hurt the most from the Heartless.

"Just knock it off. I'm fine." Seifer said. Together, Sora and his friends searched every nook and cranny of Radiant Garden. However, even with a few Heartless showing up and ultimately not that many leads from the townsfolk, they felt like they were on a wild goose chase.

"This is getting hopeless. Not one person we met knows hardly anything about where all these Heartless are coming from." Kairi said. As she, Max and Riku strolled through town, Riku quickly stopped them.

"Huh? Riku? What is it?" Kairi asked. Riku's eyes narrowed as he saw what looked like the dark knight heading down towards the Balley.

"Oh no. Tell me we did NOT just see the black knight guy again." Max asked. Riku nodded.

"Come on. Let's follow him. If any Heartless activity is causing so much ruckus around here, bet anything it's connected to him." Riku whispered. Kairi nodded. The group slowly tailed after the dark knight, making sure to keep their distance and out of sight. When they finally reached the Balley, they watched as the dark knight took a good look around.

"Come out." he muttered. With a snap of his fingers, several tall figured people suddenly appeared at his side, almost mimicing how a Nobody appeared.

"What the? Are they....Nobodies?" Riku whispered. There were three other strange figures standing before him, two wearing black robes with white decals and one with a white robe with black decals.

"So, how are things going here boss?" the white hooded figure asked.

"Just as planned. Our operations in Radiant Garden are all falling into place. Soon, I shall unleash the Heartless wave and we shall have this world for our own soon enough." the dark knight said. He waved his hand and, appearing out of a state of invisibility against the wall, a parasite like Heartless appeared. It appeared as a giant roach with the blue Heartless logo on it's wings, bright yellow eyes and spiked and jagged legs.

"Thanks to my Heartless, it's been producing so many Heartless here that we should have enough in no time at all." the knight said. But suddenly, he heard someone shout "That's what YOU think!" before looking back. He saw Kairi, Riku and Max with their weapons drawn.

"Well, well, we had some little snoops spying on us. Hmm. This might be the perfect time after all. All right. Go ahead. Show them your true power." the knight said. The black hooded figure on the right nodded, coming at Riku like a flash. But when laser sabers emerged from his sleeves, they collided with Riku's Keyblade.

"So, YOU are the famous Riku, the boy who escaped the darkness and rejoined his friends in the light? Pleasure to see you face to face." he said. Riku suddenly gasped, hearing the evil voice sounded exactly like Xehanort's Heartless!

"X....Xehanort?! No! It's not possible! You should be...!" Riku shouted. But before he could finish, he was shoved away and struck hard down his chest by the saber.

"Riku!" Kairi exclaimed. Riku groaned and collapsed to his knees. The knight huffed.

"Simply pathetic. If this is how you all truly are, then this will be a cakewalk. Go my pet Roach. Demolish this city and spread your Heartless brethren across it's rubble remains!" the knight shouted. Suddenly, the insect Heartless began to grow in size and soon was towering high above the Balley. The sudden appearance caught everyone else's attention, even the Restoration Commitee.

"What is...What is that?!" Rinoa gasped.

"I guess we found where those Heartless have been coming from. Heh. Coming from nothing than a big old bug." Cid said. The Heartless made it's way towards the town plaza and found Sora, Cloud and Seifer. It squealed before suddenly shrinking down to about twice Sora's size.

"Looks like we found our Heartless source. You think you can take it Sora?" Cloud asked. Sora nodded, drawing his Keyblade. Elsewhere, Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Pete all saw the Heartless and hurried to the town plaza, along with Leon and Yuffie. But by the time they got there, a large barrier was formed, sealing Sora, Cloud and Seifer in with the Heartless.

"Let's do this! Time to get squashed roach face!" Seifer shouted. He took a leap at the Heartless, but was effortlessly struck down by it's giant leg. Sora took a chance and joined Cloud in a tag team combo attack on it's front legs, causing it to squeal.

"Now....take THIS!" Sora shouted. With a fast swing, he caused the Heartless to fumble and flip onto it's back. Seifer emerged from the rubble of his crash and came charging.

"So long!" Seifer shouted. He leaped towards the Heartless and dove for it's chest. However, dark bombs were fired out of it's mouth and ended up striking Seifer. But what was more disgusting is that these weren't bombs, but they were giant Heartless eggs and produced Shadow Heartless upon their hatch.

"They're eggs. Heartless eggs!" Cloud groaned. The Shadows all came after Seifer and soon had him cornered. But Sora unleashed a quick lightning spell and zapped them. But the Heartless attacked from behind.

"Sora!" Mickey exclaimed. Sora rolled across the ground and lost his Keyblade. But Cloud was able to fend the Heartless back enough for Sora to get it back.

"Man. This thing is tough." Sora panted. He came at the Heartless again, unleashing a combo at it's face the moment it flipped over. It squealed and roared. Suddenly, it began spraying acid from it's mouth. It missed Sora but got Seifer in the cross fire.

"Seifer! You okay?!" Cloud asked. Seifer groaned.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me." Seifer groaned. Sora groaned and threw the Keyblade like a boomerang, chopping off one of the Heartless' atennas. That really got it angry as it knocked down Cloud in a charge and stomped on Sora. By the time Kairi, Riku and Max made it, they saw Sora getting stomped on by the Heartless.

"Sora! NO!" Kairi shouted. By the time the fury ended, Sora was pounded into the ground. It then let off a high pitched shriek, causing the Heartless gaining on Seifer to attack more hostile.

"Okay you! That is it!" Cloud shouted. Drawing his sword, he began building a strong energy force and unleashed a high speed Sonic attack on the Heartless. Still embeded partially in the ground, Sora was about to pass out as the Shadow Heartless were coming towards him too.

"Sora! Get out of there! Sora!" Kairi exclaimed. But Sora could only hear his heart beat as he passed out.

"Kairi.....Riku.....everyone.......I'm......I'm sorry....." Sora muttered. But in Sora's subconscious, he saw a light shining.

"Sora! Do not give up! Let me help you!" a voice called out. It sounded like Ven's voice.

"Sora! We're here too! So don't you THINK about quiting now!" another voice shouted, sounding like Roxas. Suddenly, outside Sora's conscious, a light began engulfing him and with one giant flash, eradicated the Shadow Heartless.

"What in the world?!" Cloud gasped. Seifer and Cloud watched as Sora stood up again. But this time, his eyes were glowing gold, his outfit looked like Roxas' top with Ven's armored legs and shoulder guard. Plus, he had his Keyblade in his left hand, Ven's Keyblade in his right hand and the Oblivion and Oathkeeper orbiting him.

"Sora...?" Riku muttered. Sora suddenly eyed the giant Heartless.

"Ever see this before Heartless? This is what is known as.....Chaos Mode." Sora said. As the Heartless tried to stomp him, Sora took one lightning fast swing of his Keyblade to completely slice off it's foot! The large Heartless screeched.

"How did he?!" Leon gasped. Sora suddenly took to the sky and glided around the Heartless, slicing it's other legs off with the same style of attack and the giant Heartless came crashing down to the ground. It's chopped off feet flailed around as Sora faced it.

"Now....to end this." Sora said. Seifer was completely speechless, so was Donald and Goofy.

"Sora?" Donald and Goofy thought.

"What in the world? How is he doing this?" Seifer thought. Sora suddenly united all three of his Keyblades, creating a powerful appearing Keyblade made of pure light and with one diving stab, it slayed Roach with a powerful impact. The Heartless screeched and flailed as the heart left it's body. After the Heartless was slayed, Sora's power faded and he returned to the ground completely out of energy. The barrier broke and the others hurried to Sora.

"Sora? Sora!" Kairi shouted. Sora took one look at Kairi before passing out. When Sora came to, he was on a bed in one of Radiant Garden's hotels and he saw Kairi sitting at the bed's side. His Keyblade was against the side.

"Kairi....?" Sora muttered. As he rose up, he was greeted by Kairi in a hug.

"Sora. I'm....You're all right. I'm so glad..." Kairi said with a sniffle. Sora chuckled softly and hugged Kairi back.

"Yeah. S....Sorry about worrying you." Sora said. Kairi smiled.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	8. Ch 8: Enter the Emperor's Groove

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 8: Enter the Emperor's Groove_**

At Radiant Garden, Sora and the others were resting from the battle with the insect Heartless and out of them, Seifer had hurt himself the most because of his earlier injuries. Yuffie and the others visited Sora and the others at their recovery station and saw Sora was healing much sooner than expected.

"Hey there Sora. How've you been feeling?" Leon asked. Sora flexed his arm.

"I've been fine Leon. I don't think I was hurt that badly." Sora said. Mickey smiled.

"Good to hear Sora. Gosh, I don't know what would've happened if we lost you back there." Mickey said. Riku added that Sora took quite the beating from the Heartless previously.

"Well, let's just say that I'm a fast healer." Sora said. Just then, Kairi came in with glasses of lemonade for everyone. Leon and the others joined them.

"You guys really did awesome back there. I was actually getting kind of worried for a second." Yuffie said. Cloud looked away.

"It was no big deal. We defeated it, didn't we?" Cloud asked. Rikku nodded.

"So, how about you? You doing all right Seifer?" Leon asked. Seifer huffed.

"Yeah. I'm fine. If Sora could heal that fast, then so can I." Seifer said. But just as he wanted to move, he felt a pain at his side.

"Heh. Sure. Looks like you need a bit more time than Sora needed." Cid chuckled. Seifer groaned.

"You probably should take the time to rest Seifer. You were pretty banged up back there." Goofy said. Seifer groaned and said he was fine, before the sudden jerk caused his side to hurt again.

"Yeah. I don't think so." Max said. Pete looked out the window as the others talked.

"Well, I think there's something I still need to do. We were never properly introduced earlier. My name is Rinoa Heartilly. I'm a friend of Leon." Rinoa said.

"Hi. My name's Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Riku." Sora said. The others waved.

"Rinoa recently came to Radiant Garden a while back. This was her homeworld and, just like us, she lost it after Ansem's little "Heartless experiments" caused our world to be lost." Leon said.

"But with the work everyone has done, I made my way back and I've joined the commitee. Glad to finally meet you Sora. Leon told me a lot about you and your adventures." Rinoa said. Mickey asked Cid if the upgrades to their Gummi Ship was completed and Cid nodded.

"Yep. Got the weapon systems installed just like you asked. They should help protect you guys from the Heartless ships when you're out traveling again." Cid said. Just then, Yuna and Paine came flying in from a nearby window.

"We finished checking the town. Not a single Heartless is around." Paine said. Leon nodded and thanked them.

"So what now Sora? Should we head out again?" Kairi asked.

"That is, if Sora's healed enough to travel." Riku added. Sora assured them he was all right. He even got himself up onto his feet and showed his injuries healed.

"All right then. But what about him?" Donald asked pointing at Seifer. Seifer groaned and looked away.

"Don't worry. We'll watch him for you." Aerith said. Just then, Sora was remembering the words Michael told him before they left Destiny Islands. He brought up the topic that if he had to form a team, they would need a base for everyone.

"Well, you can use some of the vacant buildings in town for a base. We'll use some of the community funds to help you guys find a suitable place. We owe you for helping us with the large Heartless fight last time." Leon said. Sora smiled.

"Yeah. That's perfect. Thanks Leon." Sora said. He then looked at his friends and figured that Seifer should stay here and rest. When Kairi asked what he was pondering about, Sora was wondering if he should keep bringing his entire group to each world.

"Well, that might makes things a bit difficult. In battle, sometimes a smaller group of strong allies has a better chance of success." Merlin said. Sora agreed.

"Don't worry Sora. If you want me to wait here, I understand. I'll help Leon and the others find our base and keep things organized. Okay?" Kairi asked. Sora thanked Kairi and shook her hand. But Riku knew that if Sora was going, Riku volunteered to come along with him.

"You can count me in too Sora. I'm sure that I'll be of some help." Mickey said. Cloud looked outside, remembering his time in Olympus Coliseum.

"Hey. Sora? Mind if I tag along? Something about hearing your adventures has me wanting to go with you." Cloud said. Even with Sora confused a bit, he agreed to have Cloud join him before Rikku suddenly started exclaiming that she wanted to come too.

"Uhhh....okay then." Sora said. Forming his new traveling group, Sora's team had Donald, Goofy, Riku, Cloud, Mickey and Rikku. Before they left, Mickey gave Leon a radio transmitter so they could keep in touch.

"Good luck Sora. We'll keep things under control down here. I'm sure there's another world that needs the Keyblader right now." Yuffie said. Sora nodded as he and his group went inside the Gummi Ship and took off. Pete stuck around with Kairi and volunteered to help with the chores, so did Max.

"Are you sure Pete?" Kairi asked.

"Huh. That's a funny thing to ask. Of course I can do chores! What? You think I can't?" Pete asked. He went into the nearby kitchen to wash dishes before slipping on a sponge on the ground and falling on his back. His impact caused some nearby plates to fall and crash.

"D'oh! My back!" Pete groaned. Elsewhere, a scheme was being plotted against an emperor of another world. In a dark and gloomy cave, a skinny old woman and a muscular young man was at a wall switch. They appeared as Yzma and her idiotic henchmen Kronk.

"Pull the lever Kronk." Yzma said. Kronk grabbed a lever and pulled it, causing a trap door beneath Yzma to open and send her falling through it.

"WRONG LEVER!!!!" Yzma screamed. Kronk watched as she came right back up with a crocodile biting her rear.

"Why do we even HAVE that lever?" Yzma groaned as she swatted the crocodile away. Later on, Yzma and Kronk lured the unsuspecting emperor, Kuzco, to a special dinner that night and during dinner, Kronk added a strange liquid to Kuzco's drink.

"Long live Kuzco!" Yzma announced. Everyone took a drink and the second he took his drink, Kuzco passed out. A while later, Kronk was seen dragging someone out of the empire in a big bag over his shoulder. In his mind, he heard Yzma's words echoing.

"A llama?! He's supposed to be dead! Take him out of town and finish the job!" her voice echoed. As Kronk left, Yzma watched from a nearby window and groaned. Meanwhile, the Gummi Ship continued traveling across space heading for the next world.

"You think the others are going to be okay back there? Radiant Garden isn't exactly Heartless proofed." Sora said.

"Don't worry Sora. If anything happens, Leon and the others will contact us. So don't worry." Mickey said. Riku nodded. Suddenly, Donald saw something ahead of them.

"Your Majesty! Look there!" Donald squawked. He pointed ahead and there was a floating world before them. Atop it was the Kuzco's empire.

"Gee. Have we been there before? It doesn't look familiar." Goofy said. Sora took a good look before deciding that it was no place he ever seen before. Mickey decided to take a chance and began to land the Gummi Ship on the planet. The ship came to a gentle landing in a peaceful and gentle pasture one evening.

"Wow. Where are we?" Goofy asked. Everyone took a step out and had a look around. Rikku emerged and stretched her arms.

"Ah. Finally. We made it. Good. Now I can do this." Rikku said. With a snap of her fingers, Rikku suddenly began to glow. She began to grow until she was her full sized self, wearing her outfit from Final Fantasy X. Sora, Donald and Goofy were a bit shocked from Rikku's sudden growth.

"Hmm? What? I use that form to conserve energy. Besides, I felt like I needed a good stretch anyway." Rikku said. Sora and the others groaned before hearing two people yelling.

"Demon llama!" a deep voice yelled.

"Demon llama?! Where?! Aaahhh!" another voice yelled. It caught their ears.

"Sounds like trouble." Cloud said. The others hurried over to the voices and saw two figures cowering on the ground. They were Kuzco, in llama form, and Pacha. Staring at them were Shadow Heartless and two Heartless shaped like black and blue llamas.

"Are those......Heartless?" Donald asked. Sora drew his Keyblade.

"Whatever they are, those guys need help!" Sora exclaimed. The others nodded and drew their weapons, quickly catching the Heartless' attention.

"Hey Heartless! Expect to see me?" Sora shouted. They charged at the Heartless and began attacking. Donald and Goofy made quick work of the Shadow Heartless as Sora and Riku fought with the llama Heartless. They were more durable and kicked Sora hard with their back legs. However, one was quickly struck down by Rikku and her daggers.

"Ha. These guys are pushovers." Rikku said. But suddenly, the remaining Heartless emitted a cry and more of the llama shaped Heartless arrived.

"Spoke too soon. My turn." Cloud said. Drawing his sword, Cloud went into a lightning fast Sonic attack and wiped them out without breaking a sweat. Pacha and Kuzco peeked through their hands and saw the Heartless vanquished. Pacha sighed.

"Phew. Thanks a lot. What was wrong with those llamas?" Pacha asked. Donald corrected Pacha by saying they were Heartless.

"Heartless? Of course they were! They tried to kill me!" Kuzco shouted. Everyone gasped from fright at Kuzco's llama self.

"Wak! Talking llama!" Donald squawked. Thinking he was another Heartless, Goofy struck Kuzco in the face with his shield, causing him to pass out.

"Uhh....Goofy? I think he's an inhabitant of this world." Riku said. Goofy looked nervously at the passed out Kuzco.

"Oops! Sorry." Goofy muttered. Donald sighed.

"Goofy..." he groaned.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	9. Ch 9: Emperor Protection Service

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 9: Emperor Protection Service_**

Everyone watched nervously at the knocked out Kuzco's face, hoping he'd wake up. Goofy still felt pretty bad about attacking Kuzco thinking he was a Heartless. Suddenly, Kuzco began to stir.

"Ugh. My head. What....What a dream. Ow. Then.....why does my head hurt if this was just a......Aah!" Kuzco gasped. He shouted the moment he saw Sora and the others.

"Wha...Wha..What do you want?!" Kuzco gasped.

"Uhh....sorry. My friend didn't mean to attack you. Hi. My name's Sora." Sora said.

"I'm Donald and this is Goofy." Donald said as Goofy waved. Riku, Cloud and Rikku introduced themselves too, along with Mickey. Kuzco rattled his head.

"Well, hey. YOU'RE that psychotic nut case that whacked me in the head! What's the deal?!" Kuzco shouted. Goofy groaned and looked away.

"Hey, don't pick on Goofy. It wasn't his fault. Besides, how can an animal like YOU be talking?" Sora asked. Kuzco scoffed.

"Silly boy. I am NOT an animal. My name is Kuzco. That's EMPEROR Kuzco to you." Kuzco said. But just then, he suddenly noticed his hooved hands. Kuzco gasped.

"Wait! It can't be! Ah." Kuzco gasped. He raced over to the nearby fountain and gasped, staring at his reflection.

"Oh no! No! No! No! No! NO! My beautiful, beautiful FACE! Agh! NO!" Kuzco whined. Rikku groaned.

"What a crybaby." Rikku muttered. Donald nodded in agreement.

"How....How did this happen?!" Kuzco shouted.

"Well, I don't know. I know I was leaving the palace grounds with my llama Misty. And we had all our things with us. When I make it back here, I find HIM in one of my bags." Pacha said. Kuzco narrowed his eyes.

"Oh ho ho! So the culprit reveals himself! This is YOUR fault!" Kuzco shouted.

"Me? Why me?!" Pacha shouted.

"Oh. Don't you see? This is easy to figure out. YOU were obviously upset with me for telling you that I was going to build my fun birthday castle here on your stump of land you call home and YOU didn't want that to happen! So, you turned me into a llama and kidnapped me!" Kuzco chuckled. Sora looked confused, but Pacha explained what Kuzco meant.

"What?! You were going to tear this guy's home down just to make way for some stupid little birthday gift for yourself?!" Rikku gasped.

"If you're an emperor, you should've gotten his permission first. It's no wonder you're a llama. You deserve it." Riku said.

"Oh yeah? Well, unless you help me get back to my former self, I'll tell the guards at the palace that YOU are all guilty of attempted kidnapping of the royal personage!" Kuzco shouted. Everyone gasped.

"What do we do? This guy seems serious." Cloud asked. Donald sighed, figuring there was no real choice. Sora nodded and agreed to help Kuzco.

"Fine then. Come on. Let's move. The palace isn't going to just call me back itself, now will it?" Kuzco asked. Pacha and Kuzco followed Sora and the others as they left Pacha's home to head towards the palace. Rikku was just begging to whack Kuzco outside the head for treating them so poorly. Meanwhile, back at Kuzco's palace, Yzma heard the news from Kronk.

"He's still alive?! Kronk! I told you to KILL him! What happened?!" Yzma screamed. Kronk nervously stuttered.

"Well, ya see Yzma...it's kind of like.....like uhh....." Kronk said. Yzma growled and pushed Kronk away.

"Never mind. If Kuzco's alive, he's BOUND to be on his way here. Well, I'll make sure he never sees this palace again." Yzma said. She snapped her fingers and some Heartless appeared.

"Go! Find Emperor Kuzco and make sure he NEVER reaches the palace walls alive." Yzma said. The Heartless then vanished again, into a dark portal. Elsewhere, Kuzco and the others were just passing through the jungle. Kuzco was in Sora's arms.

"Any explanation as to why I'm carrying you? Your highness?" Sora asked.

"What? An emperor needs to rest. But since I have to get to the palace as soon as possible, you'll be the royal carrier." Kuzco said. Sora groaned. Mickey eyed Sora along with Riku.

"Sora, you don't have to do that. You're not his servant." Riku said. Kuzco stuck his tongue out before they all heard growling. From a bush, two black jaguars appeared. They snarled and growled, eyeing Kuzco as a prize meal.

"Gah! Jaguars!" Kuzco screamed. He leaped out of Sora's arms and into Pacha's as Sora drew the Keyblade. Donald and Goofy raced over.

"Don't worry! We'll protect you!" Sora called. The jaguars snarled and lunged for Kuzco. But both were knocked back from a single swing of the Keyblade. They crashed to the ground and growled.

"You want something to eat? Then come and get some!" Rikku called. Sora asked Riku and the others to keep going towards the palace while they stalled the jaguars.

"Okay. Just be careful Sora." Riku said.

"We'll see you outside the jungle." Mickey said. Together, Riku led Cloud and the others past the jaguars and on towards the palace. As soon as they left, Sora, Donald and Goofy faced the jaguars again.

"Come on! Let's get them!" Donald squawked. The jaguars snarled and lunged for them. A fight broke out with Sora fighting one jaguar and Donald and Goofy took on the other. Donald was almost the jaguar's meal, quickly avoiding it's sharp fangs.

"Fire!" Donald squakwed. He fired a blast of fire at the jaguar and struck it's face, leaving it open for Goofy's attack. Sora dodged the jaguar's attack and attacked with a combo from behind. The jaguar ended up crashing into the other. Feeling powerless, the two jaguar began to retreat.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered. Sora huffed.

"Guess they were a couple of scaredy cats after all." Sora said. Donald chuckled and high fived Sora. But just then, Shadow Heartless began sprouting up around them.

"Heartless!" Donald squawked. The trio braced for the battle as Riku and the others had just exited the jungle and reached the bridge.

"Phew. That was close. All right now. Let's keep moving. Me no likey being away from home." Kuzco said. Riku groaned.

"What is your problem? Sora is back there fighting jaguars, just to keep your sorry behind safe. Don't you care about him?!" Riku groaned. Kuzco looked away.

"If you're not careful, we CAN just abandon you here. I don't see any reason to help a selfish little twit like you." Cloud said. Kuzco gasped.

"Oh no! You can't use that trick on me. Like I said, I'll have you all charged for attempted emperor kidnapping! So you can't..." Kuzco said. But then, Pacha dropped him.

"Oh! What was that for?!" Kuzco shouted.

"They're right. I'm sorry, but I had it. I only helped because I felt sorry for you. But if this is the way you're going to treat someone who's trying to help you, then I don't have to put up with this!" Pacha said. Kuzco gasped and couldn't find anything to say.

"Oh yeah?! Well......Well....." Kuzco said before slowly silencing himself. Just then, they heard a loud cry and looked back. In front of them was an Inca statue, but it had the Heartless mark on it. It lashed out and grabbed Kuzco with it's giant rock hands.

"What the?! What is that?!" Pacha gasped. Riku and the others drew their weapons.

"A Heartless. Stand back." Riku said. Pacha slowly stepped back, eyeing the terrified Kuzco in the Heartless' grip.

"Help! Agh! Someone! HELP!" Kuzco screamed. Pacha quickly rushed off. Riku and Mickey attacked the Heartless first, using combo attacks against it's body. However, the statue didn't seem to feel anything and knocked them down.

"Let me try." Rikku said. She drew her daggers and attacked. But it ended up the same as Riku, with the attack unable to damage it and she got knocked down.

"What...What is this thing made of? My attacks didn't do a thing." Rikku said. The Heartless roared with it's grip still on Kuzco. Far behind, Sora, Donald and Goofy emerged from the jungle and heard the Heartless' roar.

"Is that....?" Donald asked.

"Another Heartless?" Goofy asked. just then, Sora could hear Kuzco's screams of terror.

"Oh no! It must have Kuzco! Come on!" Sora shouted. They hurried over to the fight, seeing Riku and the others still unable to damage the Heartless.

"Riku!" Sora called. He hurried over as Riku caught his breath.

"Sora. This is bad. This Heartless....our attacks do nothing to it." Riku said. Sora looked at the Heartless and it stared back at him. Sora and Donald drew their weapons.

"Then it's our turn. Donald? You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sora asked. Donald nodded and grabbed Sora's hand. Suddenly, Sora invoked fusion and became Wisdom Sora. He glided around and shot at the hand holding Kuzco. As he attacked, Pacha came leaping from a nearby tree onto the Heartless' head.

"What the? What's he doing?" Mickey asked. Pacha reached for Kuzco as Sora continued to attack. After enough attacking, the Heartless hand popped and it dropped Kuzco. But Pacha managed to grab Kuzco's hoove before he fell.

"What? Pacha?!" Kuzco gasped.

"Kuzco! Hang on! I've got ya!" Pacha called. He pulled Kuzco up and leaped down before the Heartless could get him. It roared and turned to Pacha.

"Oh no you don't!" Sora shouted. He rapidly fired at the Heartless' other hand, causing pain this time.

"Wait. That's it. It's hands must have some kind of barrier set up. If we take out the hands, then we'll be able to attack." Cloud said. Sora nodded and continued to attack. Soon enough, the other hand popped and it was left with a floating body.

"Now!" Riku shouted. Together, everyone launched attacks against it's main body. This time, the Heartless was defenseless and it took every blow. But suddenly, the body began to spin like a runaway top and coming for Pacha.

"Not so fast!" Mickey shouted. He and Sora threw their Keyblades like boomerangs, tripping up the Heartless. It was left flat on the ground, long enough for Riku to finish it. Kuzco and Pacha stopped running and turned around.

"You....You actually beat it." Kuzco said. Sora nodded.

"But...I don't get it. I thought...." Kuzco said. Rikku crossed her arms.

"You might be a whiny emperor, but even you don't deserve to be Heartless bait." Sora said. Donald nodded.

"We helped you because you needed help. Call it whatever you want, but we still helped." Riku said. Kuzco was really left silent.

"After all that, you...still helped me?" Kuzco asked. They nodded, causing Kuzco to build tears.

"Oh. Thank...Thanks, I guess. Well, come on. Let's keep going." Kuzco said. He got out of Pacha's arms and looked to him smiling. Pacha looked at Kuzco and smiled. Kuzco was now seeing Sora and the others in a new light, seeing as how they risked themselves to save him.

"Yeah. Let's go. We still have to reach the palace." Sora said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	10. Ch 10: Yzma's Downfall

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 10: Yzma's Downfall_**

Back at the palace, Yzma growled in disgust, having heard her sent Heartless failed to kill Kuzco. She was having a temper tantrum and nearly tore her head off.

"Uhh...let me guess. The plan didn't work." Kronk said. Yzma eyed Kronk.

"Oh. It did. I'm just angry because....of something else. OF COURSE IT DIDN'T WORK YOU BUFFON!" Yzma screamed. Krong fell to the ground horrified.

"Well, what now? Kuzco can't be too far from the palace now." Kronk said. Yzma growled and tried to calm herself down.

"I KNEW I should've stuck with that "turn him into a flea" plan." Yzma groaned. Yzma stormed over to a nearby window and could faintly see Sora and the others in the distance.

"Great. They're here." Yzma said. But just then, she got an idea and snapped her fingers. In the throne room, Yzma called for the guards.

"Attention guards! What I am about to tell you is very important. The assassins who killed Emperor Kuzco are on their way here. I want you to find and capture them BEFORE they can get to me. Understand?" Yzma asked. The guards gave a group salute before heading out. Yzma cackled.

"Oh. This is going to be good." Yzma said. Outside the palace, Kuzco sighed at the sight of the palace. Sora and Donald had defused along the way.

"There it is. There's the palace. We made it." Kuzco said "Oh. Don't worry Throney. I'm coming." But suddenly, a group of guards came out and aimed their spears at them.

"Halt! By order of Empress Yzma, the assassins of Emperor Kuzco are to be captured and brought before her for appropriate punishment." a guard said. Kuzco gasped.

"Wait! No! You've got it all wrong! I'm Kuzco! I'M Kuzco!" Kuzco exclaimed. But the guards didn't seem to buy it and tried to attack. But Donald used Thunder and managed to zap them into stepping back.

"Out of the way! We've got the real emperor!" Rikku shouted. But again, the guards didn't believe them.

"Well, only one way through then." Sora said. He, Riku and Cloud went into a charge and effortlessly took out the guards. Mickey rushed towards the palace gates.

"Come on! If this "Yzma" is the one giving the orders, she has to be behind Kuzco's change!" Mickey called. Sora and the others followed Mickey inside and eventually ran into more guards.

"Again?!" Donald groaned.

"Listen! This IS Emperor Kuzco! Your empress is lying!" Sora shouted. But these guards didn't believe them either.

"Gawrsh. Yzma must really have people believing you're dead Kuzco." Goofy said. Kuzco sighed.

"When I get my hands on her, she's REALLY going to get it!" Kuzco groaned. Still, Sora and Riku fought the guards and knocked them out as well. As they continued ahead, Kuzco explained his past with Yzma to them.

"So, you fired her? No wonder she wanted revenge on you that badly." Cloud said. Kuzco groaned.

"Come on! Let's just get to the throne room and get Kuzco back to normal!" Pacha shouted. But just then, Kuzco came to a screeching stop.

"Wait a minute. She wouldn't be in the throne room. She...She must be in that secret lab of hers. Come on! Follow me!" Kuzco called. Believing Kuzco, they all turned and followed him towards the entrance to Yzma's lab, facing more guards along the way. When they reached the lever, Goofy rushed over. Donald followed.

"All right! Pull the lever Goofy!" Donald called. But Goofy, like Kronk, pulled the wrong lever and sent Donald falling down the pit, squawking loudly. He emerged from another doorway, with the alligator nipped to his tail.

"Okay. WHY does she have this lever?" Kuzco asked. Sora scared the alligator off Donald and they approached Goofy, who pulled the other switch. They all ended up going down the roller coaster and into Yzma's lab.

"All right. We're in. Now how are we gonna change you back?" Sora asked. Just then, they heard soft piano music. A spotlight went on and there was Yzma by the piano with Kronk playing.

"Is...that Yzma?" Mickey asked. Kuzco nodded and Donald groaned.

"You're right. She IS ugly." Rikku said. Yzma groaned and stopped Kronk.

"Yzma! What's going on?! Why did you do this?! What did I do to you?!" Kuzco asked. Yzma chuckled.

"Well, let's say that you firing me was the WORST thing you could've done. Now...I'm afraid that you must pay. Just think of it as you're being let go, that your life's going in a different direction, that your body's part of a permanent outplacement." Yzma said. Kronk chuckled, saying that's what he said to her.

"I know. It's called cruel irony....kind of like how I depended on YOU to kill him. Kronk! Potion me!" Yzma shouted. Kronk reached into a bowl on the piano and threw a potion at her. She changed into a purple furred saber toothed tiger.

"If those idiots won't do the job, I guess I'LL have to!" Yzma cackled. She snarled and roared. Kuzco cowered behind Pacha as Sora and the others drew their weapons. But just then, a group of guards appeared outside. They saw Yzma and blaimed them for changing her.

"Oh man! Sora! We'll keep them busy." Riku said. Sora nodded as Riku joined Rikku in slowing down the guards. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey and Cloud faced off against Yzma.

"Come and get it you old hag!" Sora shouted. Yzma growled and lunged for Sora, clawing him. But Goofy used his Goofy Whirlwind attack and knocked her away. Donald then countered with a Thunder, before Yzma came charging through them and raced around the room.

"She's fast!" Mickey shouted. Yzma snarled and attacked from behind. She then raced around again.

"I've got her." Sora said. As Yzma came charging, Sora put up his Keyblade in defense and acted like a blockade, forcing Yzma back.

"Take THIS!" Sora shouted. With a quick combo, he knocked Yzma into the air, where Cloud attacked and sent her crashing. Yzma groaned.

"Potion me Kronk!" Yzma shouted. Kronk threw another potion at her and it changed her into a purple skinned Rhinocerous.

"Ah ha ha ha! I've picked only the BEST potions for you Kuzco. Just think of it as me showing my appreciaton for you." Yzma said. She came charging and rammed everyone down, heading directly for Pacha.

"Don't worry Kuzco! I'll.....ouf!" Pacha exclaimed before Yzma tackled him into a wall. Kuzco gasped.

"Yzma! That is it!" Kuzco shouted. He charged for Yzma and leaped onto her back. He covered her eyes with his hooves.

"What?! Get off me you spoiled brat!" Yzma shouted. She ended up running around, unaware of where she was going. Sora stopped her with a combo attack to her face. Mickey followed with a combo from behind and the attack really sent Yzma spinning, fast enough to throw Kuzco off.

"Kronk!" Yzma called. Once again, Yzma was potioned and she turned into a giant shelled turtle. She started rotating her shell and began knocking everyone around. But Sora was able to stop her, with a quickly timed attack that caused her to flip over and fall onto her shell.

"Now you're gonna get it!" Donald squawked. Everyone leaped onto Yzma's shell and attacked feverishly against her weak stomach. She yelled and flipped over, sending the others flying.

"Kronk! Give me the best one you got!" Yzma called. Kronk threw another potion and this time, she turned into a purple skinned Tyrannosaurus Rex! She let off a loud roar.

"Wow. Now she really IS Yzmasaurus." Kuzco muttered. Yzma came charging at them. However, the new size caused her to fumble in her charge and ended up skidding across the ground. Sora and the others wasted no time in attacking Yzma's face and dealing damage. Yzma, on the other hand, couldn't get up and could only resort to snapping her jaws like a snapping turtle.

"It's over Yzma." Sora said. Together, he and Mickey used a twin attack to knock Yzma's jaw into the air and flip her over, crushing the piano and nearly Kronk! The potion wore off and Yzma returned to normal. However, something was different about her. She looked sick and was slowly glowing black with yellow eyes. She was becoming a Heartless!

"Wak! She's...She's turning into a Heartless!" Donald squawked. Yzma cackled.

"You....fools! This...This isn't over yet! Not by a long shot!" Yzma shouted. She reached into her dress and pulled out one final potion and threw it on herself. A giant explosion filled up the room with smoke.

"What...What is she doing?!" Goofy shouted.

"Be careful. Who knows what she turned herself into this time." Cloud said. In the smoke, Yzma laughed in a deep and scary voice. But when the smoke cleared, Yzma shrunk down to the size of a kitten! Her new appearance left everyone speechless.

"Meow?" Yzma muttered. Suddenly, the broken off top of the piano, still airborne from Yzma's crash, came landing directly on her.

"Welp, I guess that's that." Mickey said. Yzma groaned. Kuzco remembered Pacha and hurried back.

"Pacha! Pacha! You okay?!" Kuzco gasped. Pacha emerged from the wall in a daze.

"Kuzco? Oh. Are...Are you okay?" Pacha asked. Kuzco grinned as he helped Pacha.

"You big lug. Don't get yourself beaten up for a guy like me." Kuzco said. Cloud approached Yzma's potion cabinet and found a potion with a human on it. He casually tossed it to Sora.

"Here. This should fix the emperor." Cloud said. Outside, Riku and Rikku returned into the palace, hearing the piano crushing Yzma.

"Sora, you okay? What happened?" Riku asked. Sora looked back.

"Oh. Let's just say our fight with Yzma ended with a "smashing" success." Sora said. He gave the potion to Kuzco. And in one gulp, Kuzco changed back to his human self as the guards entered.

"Emperor Kuzco! Sir!" a guard gasped. Kuzco pointed to the unconscious Yzma kitten.

"Guards! Arrest this.....this.....traitorous kitty! She, Yzma, tried to rule the kingdom by potioning me!" Kuzco shouted. Taking his word, Yzma was carted off.

"Phew. That was close." Kronk said. Just then, everyone looked at Kronk.

"What? Hey. I didn't want any part in this! Yzma! She's the evil one here! Not me!" Kronk shouted. Sora believed him.

"So, what are you going to do Kronk?" Sora asked.

"Hmm. Well, let's see. The emperor's back to normal, Yzma will probably fire me the moment she wakes up and I'll be out of a job.......gah! You've gotta help me!" Kronk cried. He grabbed Sora and dropped to his knees bawling. Sora brushed Kronk's hands off. But suddenly, he remembered Michael's words about forming a team.

"Well, maybe you could come work for us? We're trying to put together a team and you might just be a possible candidate for..." Sora said before Kronk's hug ended it.

"Oh! Thank you! If it helps, I DO happen to be a pretty darn good chef, if I do say so myself." Kronk said. Sora looked at the others, who only shrugged.

"Okay. You're hired." Sora said. Kronk smiled and hugged Sora tightly again. Saying their farewells to Kuzco and Pacha, the group left with Kronk on board in their Gummi Ship. Their destination now was returning to Radiant Garden. But before leaving, Kuzco gave Sora an old keychain he found, meant for a Keyblade. It was named Kuzcoin, giving Sora's Keyblade an Incan appearance with a Kuzcoin as the keychain.

"Wow. This is your ship? Awesome!" Kronk said, riddled with wonder. The ship gently traveled back to Radiant Garden, landing outside the city. They headed back for their newly formed headquarters. Inside, Kairi was the first to notice them.

"Oh. Sora, welcome back." Kairi said. Sora waved and introduced Kronk to Kairi. Just then, the smell of burning smoke filled the air.

"Hey. What's that smell?" Donald asked. Mickey and Goofy took a quick sniff, clutching their noses.

"Whatever it is, it really smells horrible!" Mickey groaned.

"Hey! I heard that!" Pete's voice called. They entered the kitchen, seeing Pete trying to cook something at the stove. He had a chef's hat on and a white apron around his big stomach.

"Welcome back everyone! You're just in time for Petey's good old fashion burgers. Ha ha!" Pete laughed. But the sheer smell of the smoke was enough to spook Kronk.

"What are you doing?! You're going to start a fire!" Kronk shouted. He dashed over and grabbed Pete's spatula and hat, pushing Pete away.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Pete shouted. Kronk turned off the stove.

"I'll tell you what. You're going to start a fire if you keep this up! Plus, look at these. Your food is already burnt black!" Kronk shouted. Pete and Kronk continued to argue as Sora sighed.

"Well, I guess those two will have to learn to get along with each other." Sora said. Donald and Goofy agreed.

"I'll report back to Leon and the others. I should probably give a report about how our trip went." Cloud said. Sora looked back and nodded. But as Cloud left, something else surprised them. Rikku had shrunk back to her fairy size!

"What?! Wait a minute! How did....When did you...?!" Sora gasped. Rikku shrugged.

"What? All I did was change back. It's not like I meant to scare anyone or anything." Rikku said. Sora, Donald and Goofy groaned. But elsewhere, in a dark church like lair, the Dark Knight was meeting with several robed figures, dressed the same way as those who came with him to Radiant Garden.

"So, the Keyblader got lucky. Yzma was a pushover. Ah, I knew I should never gave her control of the Heartless. But still, it's fun to watch a good fight." he said. In a crystal ball floating in his palm, he had observed everything that happened at Kuzco's palace.

"Is it our turn to come out yet?" a white robed figure asked. The dark knight waved his hand.

"Not yet my friends. Not yet. I'll tell you when the perfect moment to strike is. Besides, we've got some time. In fact, I think I'll take this moment to search for other possible candidates.....so I can create more Lifeless from them." he said. The knight laughed as the scene showed five white robed figures and two black robed figures with the knight.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	11. Ch 11: Friends In The Hundred Acre Woods

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 11: Friends in the Hundred Acre Woods_**

It was starting to grow dark as the skies above Radiant Garden turned from the warm sun setting sky to the beautiful star filled sky. And in the base of Sora and his friends, Kronk was getting used to his new place in their kitchen.

"Wow. This SURE beats the stuff I had back home." Kronk said. Just then, Sora came in with Leon, Donald and Goofy. Leon wanted to meet the new person Sora brought back with them.

"Hey Kronk, we have someone who wanted to meet you." Sora said. Kronk turned to Sora and shook Leon's hand.

"So, you're the guy Sora brought back. Well, it's nice to meet you. The name's Leon." Leon said. Kronk chuckled and introduced himself.

"Everything been okay Kronk? I know it must feel a little weird, being this far from home." Goofy said. Kronk nodded.

"Yeah, well, any kitchen in the world is home to a chef." Kronk said. Leon chuckled.

"Oh yeah. I forgot Sora mentioned you said you knew how to cook. How well are you?" Leon asked. Kronk reached for a knife.

"Well, why doesn't the old Kronk show ya?" Kronk said. With the speed of a cheetah and the skills only Kronk could have, he whipped up a tray of spinach puffs in less than half an hour. Kronk took his tray out of the oven and blew a kiss.

"Perfect." Kronk said. Just then, the scene froze and someone appeared. It was Kuzco.

"Uhh...hey. Hi there. So, I see we've already moved ahead. Didn't forget about good old Kuzco already, right? Of course not." Kuzco said. But when he turned to the screen, you could hear him mutter "You BETTER not have." under his breath. He plucked out a red marker and circled Kronk's face.

"By the way, who made Kronk the center of attention all of a sudden? I mean, I'm sure I'd be just as good as old meathead here. Only reason HE got to be in more chapters than I have is..." Kuzco said. Just then, he saw Sora approaching.

"Uhhh....Kuzco? What are you doing?" Sora asked. Kuzco stuttered and threw his marker away.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just....ehh......let's move on, shall we?" Kuzco asked. He ducked out of sight as Sora walked off with a sigh. The screen continued as Kronk rested the tray on top of the stove.

"Wow. Sure smells good Kronk." Donald said. Kronk turned to Donald with a smirk.

"Well, spinach puffs WERE always my specialty." Kronk said. Leon figured he'd better head back and check up on Cid. Sora bidded Leon goodbye as Donald and Goofy became Kronk's taste testers. The moment Goofy tried one of Kronk's spinach puffs, his eyes seemed to have bulged.

"Gawrsh! These are really good!" Goofy exclaimed. The same reaction happened to Donald.

"You said it Goofy!" Donald said. Kronk chuckled and so did Sora. He asked Kronk if he was going to help with dinner that evening.

"Sure thing Sora. Just relax. I'll whip up something tasty for everyone." Kronk said. Sora nodded and walked into the other room. In the next room, he found Kairi sitting down on a couch. She was looking out at the setting sun.

"Hey Kairi." Sora said. Kairi turned to Sora with a surprised look, entranced by the beautiful scenery previously.

"Oh. Hi Sora. Sorry about that. My mind was somewhere else." Kairi said. Sora chuckled and sat by her side. Kairi looked back out at the sun with a sigh.

"Something wrong Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi shook her head.

"I'm just....I guess I'm just concerned....about everyone else back on Destiny Islands." Kairi said. Sora asked if she missed Wakka and the others and she nodded.

"Don't worry. They should be all right." Sora said.

"But, we never say goodbye to them or anything. I bet they're wondering what happened to us." Kairi said. When Sora heard that, he knew where Kairi was coming from.

"Well, I'm sure that if they are, they know we're all right." Sora said. He rested his hand on Kairi's shoulder.

"Besides, they probably wouldn't have known about what was going on anyway. So, just try not to worry about it. Okay?" Sora asked. Kairi looked at Sora and nodded.

"Okay Sora. Thanks." Kairi said. Sora smiled and he suddenly remembered something. He got up and walked over to a nearby bookshelf. He searched the books and pulled one out. He came back to Kairi's side with book in hand.

"What's that?" Kairi asked.

"It's a book Merlin brought by earlier. He thought it would be something special for us to hold onto." Sora said. The book on Sora's lap was a special book, the doorway to the Hundred Acre Woods.

"The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh....what the?" Kairi said. She looked on the cover and saw the image of Sora with Pooh and Tigger.

"Sora? Is that...?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded, telling Kairi about the times he visited Pooh. Kairi asked if the book could still work and Sora was hoping so. So, he slowly reached for the cover and opened the book. A light shined from the front page and soon enough, Sora and Kairi had both entered the book. The place they landed in was outside Pooh's house.

"Wow. This....This is amazing." Kairi said. Sora watched as Kairi looked around at Pooh's world, filled with wonder in her eyes. Up the road, Sora saw Pooh's tree home with Pooh outside on his log. As usual, Pooh was having one of his "thinking" moments, tapping his head and saying "Think! Think! Think!" to himself. Sora chuckled and held Kairi's hand.

"Hey....Kairi. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Sora said. On Kairi's face, she had a smile as she agreed to meet Sora's friend. Following Sora, Kairi was brought over to Pooh as the little bear saw Sora approaching.

"Oh. Sora." Pooh said. Sora smiled and waved.

"Hey there Pooh. I came back for a visit." Sora said. Pooh chuckled.

"It's always a pleasure to see you Sora. I just knew you'd come back to visit." Pooh said. He got up and turned to Sora. He saw Kairi's face.

"Hey Pooh, I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Kairi, one of my best friends." Sora said. Pooh chuckled.

"Hello Kairi. It's very nice to meet you." Pooh said. Kairi chuckled and bent down to Pooh's eye sight.

"It's very nice to meet you too Pooh. What have you been doing?" Kairi asked. Pooh tapped his head.

"Oh. Well, you see, everyone in the Hundred Acre Woods has gone missing." Pooh said. Sora and Kairi gasped.

"What? Not again." Sora said.

"It must've happened when I had my morning stretches. Or maybe when I was napping, I think." Pooh said. Sora and Kairi looked at each other before Sora shrugged.

"Would you like us to help Pooh?" Kairi asked. Pooh smiled.

"Oh. I would. But, uhhh, would you happen to have a small smackeral of honey? My tummy has been rumbling." Pooh said. Kairi giggled and Sora sighed.

"Come on Pooh. I bet we'll find your friends AND some honey if we look." Sora said. Pooh said he'd like that as Sora held Pooh's hand. Together, the three friends searched the woods for any sign of Pooh's friends. They checked Rabbit's home, but no Rabbit. They then checked Tigger's bouncing spot, but no Tigger.

"This is weird. The pages are still in the book, but everyone's not here. Where are they?" Sora said, scratching his head. They checked Kanga and Roo's home, but no one was there. After searching the whole woods, they stopped again at Pooh's home.

"Sora, what's going on?" Kairi asked.

"I don't know. I thought we'd see at least one of Pooh's friends." Sora said. Just then, Sora saw something stuck to Pooh's door. It looked like a piece of paper.

"Hey Pooh? Did you see this?" Sora asked. He plucked the paper off Pooh's door and it appeared to be a note from Rabbit. It said:

_Hello Pooh,_

_This is to remind you of our "Friendship Day Party" being held by the river. Please do try and remember, you have a habit for forgetting things._

_- Rabbit_

"A party?" Kairi asked.

"Oh. Now I remember. Today is Friendship Day and we have a party with all of our friends. Oh bother." Pooh said. Sora chuckled.

"Well, I bet if we hurry, we can probably get there before the party's over." Sora said. The three headed down for the riverside, and with luck, they saw all of Pooh's friends there. Sora also saw one of Pooh's friends with them, Lumpy the Heffalump.

"Look everyone! It's Pooh! And Sora too!" Roo called. Everyone waved to Pooh as Tigger bounced on Sora.

"Howdy there Sora! How've ya been, buddy of mine?" Tigger chuckled. Sora chuckled.

"Fine Tigger. Nice to see you too." Sora said. Tigger then saw Kairi and bounced her.

"Hoo hoo hoo hoo! And WHO do we have here? Hmm. Never particulary seen this face before." Tigger said. Pooh told Tigger that he bounced Kairi and Tigger took a good look at Kairi.

"Oh. Nice ta meet ya! The name's Tigger, that's "T-I-double-guh-err"!" Tigger laughed. Kairi chuckled as Tigger hopped off. Pooh approached the table, ready to eat.

"Now Pooh, I hope you didn't forget. We've been waiting almost a whole hour for you." Rabbit said. Pooh chuckled.

"Of course not Rabbit. But, might I ask, is there any honey? My tummy's been rather rumbly." Pooh said. Kanga passed Pooh a honey pot, knewing he'd ask that. Sora asked Kairi if she felt like eating with the others, but Kairi reminded Sora that it might spoil the dinner Kronk was preparing back in Radiant Garden.

"Oh. That's right. I almost forgot about Kronk. Well, no harm in visiting with the others. Is there?" Sora asked. Kairi chuckled.

"I guess not." Kairi said. So, Sora and Kairi joined the others in a few party games and got to catch up with Pooh and the others in their latest adventures. After enjoying the party, Sora and Kairi waved goodbye. But Sora promised that they would visit soon. And together, Sora and Kairi left Pooh's book and entered Radiant Garden once again.

"Come on Sora. Kronk must have dinner ready." Kairi said.

"Okay Kairi. I'm coming." Sora said. He set Pooh's book gently on the couch and headed for the kitchen with Kairi. Kronk had done a great job on dinner, pleasing everyone's taste buds. Even Pete was surprised by how much better Kronk was.

"So, do we agree that Kronk is our chef?" Sora asked. Everyone voted "Yes" for Kronk, even Pete. Kronk smiled as a tear came to his eye.

"Thank you." Kronk sniffled. As the night went on, the scene changes to a small home that same evening. A small young girl, tan skin and black hair, watched as a shooting star was flying across the sky. With her was her older sister.

"Look! A shooting star! Get out! I need to make a wish!" the younger girl shouted, shoving her sister out. Without them noticing, the "star" ended up crashing like a meteor into the ground. As the older sister left, the young girl went to the window and prayed on the star.

"If you can hear me, I wish for....for someone who I could call a friend. Maybe send me a guardian angel, the nicest angel you have." the girl said. But in the crash, a small figure emerged with a devious look on his face. It had four arms, two big curved ears and green eyes.

"Meega nala queesta!" the creature cried. It let off a cackling laugh before crawling away into town.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	12. Ch 12: Aloha Stitch!

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 12: Aloha Stitch!_**

The next morning at Radiant Garden, Sora was outside with Riku. Together, the two were having a sparring match with one another to test their skills. At the moment, the two of them were in a stalemate. Goofy, Donald and Max watched the match. The battle took place outside their base.

"Wow! Look at them go! They're amazing!" Max said. Sora and Riku forced each other away as they came at it again. Their blades were swung and clashed with great timing. Kairi stepped out as Donald was standing up to cheer.

"Go for it Sora!" Donald cheered. Just then, Sora managed to knock Riku's Keyblade out of his hand with a low swing and sent it flying out of his hand. Sora pointed his blade at Riku and chuckled.

"Looks like I win Riku." Sora said. Riku chuckled and went for his Keyblade.

"Not bad Sora. Not bad. You HAVE been getting better." Riku said. Sora asked Goofy how many rounds it's been and Goofy counted five for Sora and three for Riku. Kairi clapped.

"I think you're slipping Riku. You're not what you used to be." Kairi said. Riku glanced at her.

"Oh really? Why don't you come down here and see for yourself?" Riku asked. Kairi looked away blushing.

"Me? Well, I don't know. I...." Kairi said. But Sora chuckled.

"Why not Kairi? This would be good practice." Sora said. At that moment, Kairi agreed. But she wanted her sparring partner to be Sora. Accepting the terms, Riku stepped back with Donald and Goofy as Kairi drew her Keyblade.

"Okay Kairi, you ready?" Sora asked. Kairi nodded as she got a good grip on her blade. But just as Sora and Kairi were about to square off, Yuffie made a sudden appearance.

"Hey there guys! How ya doing?" Yuffie called. Sora and Kairi looked up at the roof of their base and saw Yuffie standing there. She hopped down to the ground below.

"Hi Yuffie. What's going on?" Sora asked.

"Well, Leon sent me to ask for your help. We found someone passed out in town earlier today and Leon wanted to know if he was anyone you knew." Yuffie said. Sora scratched his head.

"Huh? Someone I knew?" Sora asked.

"Well, I guess it'll make more sense if you see him with your own eyes." Yuffie said. She began to lead Sora and others back to the Commitee Center as Seifer stepped out.

"Huh? Where are they off to in such a hurry?" Seifer said. He shrugged and went for a stroll around town. At the Commitee Center, there was a boy lying on the ground. He was unconscious and seemed to be fairly young. The others were gathered at his side.

"You think he's okay?" Aerith asked. Cid tapped the boy's arm.

"Hopefully. Don't think he's dead." Cid said. Just then, Yuffie entered with the others. Leon welcomed them. Sora looked down at the boy. He had short blonde hair, a black scarf around his neck, blue clothes and a sword rested at his side.

"So, look like anyone you know Sora? Because he doesn't look like he's from around here." Cloud asked. Sora got a good look at him.

"No. He...doesn't seem like anyone I know." Sora said. Just then, the boy began to stir. His eyes slowly opened and he had light green eyes.

"Hmm? Ugh. My head...." he groaned. He began to rise and looked at everyone staring at him.

"Uhh....what?" the boy asked. Sora kneeled down.

"Hey there. My name's Sora. Who are you?" Sora asked. The boy rubbed his head and groaned.

"My name....My name is Emil. Where....Where am I?" Emil asked. Yuffie told him he was in Radiant Garden's Restoration Commitee Center. Suddenly, after another look around, Emil gasped.

"Wait! Where....Where is she?! Marta? Marta?!" Emil gasped. He quickly got up and looked around.

"Marta?! Tenebrae?! Where.....Where are you?!" Emil shouted. Hearing no answer, Emil groaned.

"Hey. You okay Emil?" Sora asked. Emil looked at Sora.

"Well, have you seen anyone? A girl with a flower in her hair? Her name's Marta?" Emil asked. Sora and the others glanced at each other and shook their heads. Emil groaned.

"Oh man. Where is she?" Emil groaned. Leon asked if Marta was anyone important and Emil nodded, saying they were best friends.

"Lost a friend eh? Doesn't THAT sound familiar." Cid said glancing at Sora.

"Don't worry. If you want, we can search the city. Maybe Marta showed up here." Rinoa said. Emil smiled.

"Thank...Thank you very much. It would be appreciated." Emil said. Riku pondered for a moment.

"Mind if I help? I've taken the chance to look around the city previously. I think I can help Emil find his friend." Riku said. Leon nodded.

"Okay then." Leon said. Just remembering something, Cid caught Sora's attention and brought him to the computer. He began typing away at the keyboard and up came a map of the space surrounding their world.

"Huh? What's this?" Sora asked.

"Something your friend, his highness, requested. I've uploaded a map of the surrounding area outside Radiant Garden. This beeping dot here is where we are and this one out here is where Heartless activity has been detected. Ha. With this, you'll know exactly where to go and when." Cid said. From where the marker was, it seemed like Heartless activity was taking place not too far from Kuzco's world.

"Okay then. I'll tell the king about it and we can head out." Sora said. He looked at Kairi and asked if she wanted to, maybe, come along for this adventure.

"What? Me? But Sora..." Kairi said.

"I was only suggesting Kairi. If Riku is going to be busy, then you won't have anyone to spar with. I definitely know Seifer's not the kind to go easy." Sora said. Kairi wasn't sure what to say.

"It'll give you a chance to have some experience Kairi. But don't worry. Even IF things get tough, we'll be right there to defend ya." Goofy said. Kairi looked at her friends and nodded.

"All right. Let's get going." Donald said. Sora returned to the base and constructed his team. This time, it was himself, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Pete. Mickey wanted to help with Leon's search and Pete felt like if Kronk was their chef, he should get back out on the battlefield.

"Just remember who's side you're on Pete." Sora said. Pete guffawed.

"Come on kid. Like I said, I'm helping YOU this time. So what's to worry about?" Pete asked. Just then, Sora heard someone behind him. It was Yuna.

"Hey Sora. Rikku told me about your last trip and it sounded kind of exciting. Mind if I come along for this one?" Yuna asked. Sora didn't mind.

"But, hey....uhhh. Can you transform too? Rikku was able to and it kind of surprised us." Sora said. Yuna chuckled.

"I can. But don't worry. I'll try not to surprise you." Yuna said. Sora nodded. Together, the group boarded the Gummi Ship and it took off. In town, Leon and the others began to help Emil search for Marta. The Gummi continued until it was outside Radiant Garden's area.

"All right Goofy. Since Mickey isn't here to pilot, can you get us to where Cid's tracker mentioned?" Sora asked. Goofy chuckled.

"You can count on me Sora!" Goofy said. Sora nodded and went back to join his friends. In about less than half an hour, the ship arrived at it's destination. The world before them appeared solid sea blue with a small set of islands in the water. Orbiting it were two space ships, a red one and a black one.

"Land ho!" Goofy called. The others came to the front as Donald seemed rather shocked. He expected Goofy to bungle somehow. But, unsure how to land a Gummi Ship, Goofy tried to land it but it started to rock and spiral towards the planet.

"Whoa!" Kairi exclaimed. Donald squawked from fright.

"GOOFY!" Donald squawked. In the skies above the world, the Gummi Ship continued to spiral out of control before it crash landed outside of a hula class studio. The group emerged from the ship, completely in a daze.

"Ohh....my head." Sora groaned. He helped Kairi out as Donald wobbled out. Pete was so dizzy that he tripped on his own two feet and fell on top of Donald. Yuna flew out above Pete.

"Pete? I think you're on Donald." Yuna said. Pete snapped back and got up, seeing a flattened Donald beneath.

"Oops! Uhh....sorry duck. Heh. Didn't see you." Pete said. Donald got up and dusted himself off.

"Sora? Do NOT let Goofy land the ship again....EVER." Donald said. Sora chuckled.

"Come on Donald. It wasn't his fault." Sora said. Yuna called everyone's attention.

"Like I told you Sora, I promised that I wouldn't surprise anyone when I did this. So, here I go." Yuna said. With a snap of her fingers and a twirl of her body, Yuna fully transformed into her human self dressed in her Final Fantasy X-2 attire.

"Wow. Pretty." Donald said. Everyone clapped at Yuna's transformation and she thanked them. Kairi looked around at the new surroundings. It seemed like a peaceful town. There was a sign that said "Welcome to Kaua'i".

"Wow. Hey...Sora? Doesn't it feel like we're home again?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. But this isn't Destiny Islands." Sora said. Just then, the bushes behind Sora and the others began to rustle. Everyone drew their weapons.

"What's that? Heartless?" Yuna asked.

"Don't know. But be careful." Sora said. Pete slowly approached the bush and just as he was reaching for the bush, a small blue creature leaped out at Pete and knocked him down. Pete groaned and tossed the creature off him. It came to a skidding stop in front of Sora. When Sora saw him, he gasped. It was Stitch!

"Hey....isn't that...?" Sora said. Stitch looked up at Sora's face and gasped.

"Sora!" Stitch shouted. He leaped for Sora, knocking him down in the process, and licked his face like a dog. Sora groaned and chuckled.

"Hey. Good to see ya again. Stitch, right?" Sora asked. Donald squawked and looked at Stitch angrily.

"Wak! You again?!" Donald shouted. Donald still remembered very well how Stitch caused Sora and the others to be sent into Space Paranoids and Donald wasn't too thrilled to be seeing the real trouble maker again.

"Take it easy Donald. I'm sure Stitch didn't mean to do that." Goofy said. Stitch nodded before a sudden "Stitch? Stitch!" caused him to freeze. He dropped to the ground and sat like a dog as a young girl approached. The girl had long black hair and a red dress. It was Stitch's human friend, Lilo.

"Oh. There you are Stitch. Why'd you run off like that? Silly puppy." Lilo said. She walked over to Stitch and hugged him. She got a glimpse of everyone else.

"Hello. Who are you?" Lilo asked.

"I'm Sora. And this is Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Pete and Yuna. What's your name?" Sora asked. Lilo introduced herself and then Stitch.

"Yeah. We met." Donald muttered. Stitch looked at Donald and leaped out of Lilo's arms.

"Huh? You...have?" Lilo asked. Donald nodded. But just as he was about to explain what happened at Radiant Gardens, Stitch jumped at Donald and looked at him angrily. He began talking in his fluent tongue, something Donald couldn't understand.

"Stitch! No! Bad boy!" Lilo called. She hugged Stitch and pulled him off Donald.

"Sorry. Stitch is just a puppy. He's learning to behave." Lilo said. Sora and the others felt confused and looked at each other.

"Okay then...." Sora said.

"Hey, do you think you guys can help me find my sister? Nani was supposed to pick me up after hula class today, but she's late." Lilo said. Sora nodded.

"Sure. Of course." Sora said. Lilo smiled.

"Thanks." Lilo said. As they walked off, Stitch strolled by Lilo's side, keeping a firm eye on Donald's big mouth.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	13. Ch 13: Attack of the Idiot Doctor Jumba

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 13: Attack of the Idiot Doctor Jumba_**

As Sora and the others joined Lilo in looking for her sister Nani, Stitch continued to watch Donald. Sora glanced at Goofy.

"Hey Goofy, how come Stitch doesn't want Lilo to know about what happened in Radiant Garden?" Sora whispered. Goofy just shrugged.

"Maybe his world was destroyed, so he doesn't want Lilo to know about stuff she didn't experience before." Goofy said. As they turned a corner, Lilo gasped.

"Wah! What...What....What are those?!" Lilo gasped. The others hurried over and saw Nani, but she was surrounded by Heartless! The ones surrounding here were Soldier and Hook Bat.

"Heartless!" Kairi exclaimed. Suddenly, the Heartless heard Kairi's yell and saw the Keybladers.

"Lilo! Stand back!" Sora called. Lilo did just that. But from a bush far behind Sora and the others, four eyes and one eye were watching them and Stitch.

"Let's go guys!" Sora called. Kairi nervously drew her Keyblade with Sora at her side. The group charged for the Heartless and a battle went out. During the battle, Stitch latched out at a Soldier and chomped on it's head with his large mouth. Hook Bats flew around everyone's heads and one hooked onto Kairi's shirt with it's hook. But Pete leaped up and swatted the Heartless, eradicating it.

"Phew. Thank you Pete. I...look out!" Kairi cried. Pete looked back and was suddenly knocked down by another Heartless. It was a Large Body. Yuna was firing her guns at the Heartless, making sure to keep her distance. Soon, more Heartless began to arrive.

"There's more of them!" Goofy shouted. Sora looked at Goofy and nodded. Goofy hurried over to Sora and the two unleashed their Knocksmash team move and Goofy flew around like a rocket, taking out the final Heartless in one strike. Pete groaned and got back up, only for Goofy's Knocksmash to keep going and knock Pete down again. Pete growled.

"Goof! Watch where your flying! You almost took my head off!" Pete shouted. Goofy apologized as Lilo came back.

"Whoa! That was.....That....You guys are so cool!" Lilo exclaimed. Nani came rushing over to Lilo after the Heartless were gone. She hugged Lilo tightly.

"Lilo! I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Nani asked. Lilo nodded.

"Yeah Nani. Didn't you see them? These guys are amazing!" Lilo exclaimed. Stitch returned to Lilo's side and barked.

"Good boy Stitch. See Nani? I knew we could trust Stitch." Lilo said. Nani groaned, still a little disturbed by Stitch's appearance.

"Well, come on. Let's go home." Nani said. She looked at Sora and friends, inviting them to see if they could help protect them.

"Sure. If any Heartless show up, you can count on us." Sora said. But as they continued along, the two watching in the bush emerged. The two were Jumba and Pleakley.

"Ah ha ha. See? Even in battle against unknown creature, 626 is VERY excellent fighter. Ha! Oh. Jumba is so proud." Jumba said.

"Yeah, but what about those other guys? They seem very dangerous." Pleakley shuddered. Jumba chuckled and patted Pleakley's head.

"Do not worry. Boy and girl do not seem like much threat." Jumba said. Just then, Jumba received a call on his galactic phone, the call from the Councilwoman that got him fired. Later that day, after protecting Nani and Lilo from anymore appearing Heartless, they arrived at home.

"Thank you so much. For everything." Nani said. Sora chuckled.

"If you like, you're welcome to come inside. I actually had more errands to do. But I just wanted to make sure my baby sister was home safely. Can I ask you to watch Lilo until I get back?" Nani asked. They nodded.

"But...eh, you might wanna have a bodyguard with ya. There might still be Heartless out there." Pete said. Nani agreed and asked if Kairi might be able to help.

"Me? Well, I...I'm not that good at...." Kairi stuttered. Goofy offered to protect Nani for her and Nani decided Goofy would be all right. As the two left, Lilo invited everyone else inside of her home. As they did, Stitch heard a noise and looked back into the forest behind him.

"Jumba?" Stitch asked questionably. He peeked his head through the bush and saw a giant footprint in the ground. From the size of it, it looked like the footprint of Gantu. Stitch gasped.

"Uh oh." Stitch said. But the minute he emerged from the bush, he heard a gun click. Stitch looked back and there was Jumba.

"Hee ha ha. Hello....Experiment 6 2 6." Jumba said with a chuckle. Stitch slowly stepped back and growled at Jumba. Meanwhile, Sora and the others were inside Lilo's kitchen with her.

"So, how long have you known Stitch?" Kairi asked.

"Oh. I've had Stitch for a few days now. I went down to the town's animal shelter and adopted him. They say he got hit by a truck." Lilo said. The others groaned in disgust.

"Do you have any other friends?" Donald asked. Lilo suddenly looked away sadly. Donald just realized he must've said something hurtful. Sora looked at Donald.

"Nice going big mouth." Sora said. Donald said he was sorry. Lilo waved her hand.

"It's okay. Besides, if you guys protected me, that makes you....my friends too. Right?" Lilo asked. Sora and the others nodded.

"Of course. We'll be your friends. Count on it." Yuna said. Lilo smiled.

"Thanks. Hey, where's Stitch? He was coming in with....huh?" Lilo said. Just then, Stitch came darting into the kitchen and hid behind Lilo.

"Stitch? What is it? Is something wrong?" Lilo asked. Stitch was about to say when the sound of the front door breaking down was heard. Appearing in the room was Jumba, armed with his blaster!

"Ha ha! Hiding behind little Earth girl WON'T help you now. Didn't you hear? We got fired this morning. Ha! New rules." Jumba said. Lilo gasped and backed away.

"Finally, after all this time, you're finally coming with me 6 2 6..." Jumba chuckled. But just then, he saw his pistol get shot out of his hand by Yuna's gun. Sora and the others stepped in front of Lilo.

"Leave her alone!" Sora shouted. Jumba growled.

"Out of my way puny Earth brat!" Jumba shouted. He whipped out a second blaster and fired. Sora deflected it with his Keyblade but it went soaring out through the roof. Jumba chuckled.

"So, you think you're brave huh? Let's see just HOW brave." Jumba said. He started firing rapid blasts at everyone, causing them to jump and duck for cover. Pete grabbed a nearby pan and used it for a shield as he rammed into Jumba.

"Hey! Out of the way fatso!" Jumba shouted. As he shoved Pete aside, Pete grabbed Jumba's coat.

"Who are you calling "Fatso" four eyes?!" Pete groaned. He poked two of Jumba's eyes and he yelped in pain. Jumba growled and reached for his blaster, before Stitch lunged at him and threw him through a wall.

"Quick! The back door!" Lilo exclaimed. They headed for the back door but saw Pleakley there!

"You're alive!" Pleakley exclaimed. Lilo slammed the door and screamed.

"They're all over the place!" Lilo shouted. Just then, Jumba returned.

"Running away? Here. Let me STOP you!" Jumba shouted. He whipped out a small pocket knife and threw it. The others got away before the knife nearly got Pleakley! Jumba groaned.

"You ALWAYS get in the way! Stay out of this you one eyed limp noodle!" Jumba shouted. Just then, Lilo went for her phone as Sora and the others defended her.

"Hello? Cobra Bubbles? Aliens are attacking my house! They're after my dog!" Lilo shouted. Pleakley came rushing in and gasped.

"No! No! No! No aliens!" Pleakley shouted. Meanwhile, Jumba was getting struck by Sora's Keyblade in a string of combos. A strike to his head sent Jumba flying back towards Kairi, who managed to bravely strike Jumba in the face.

"D'oh! You are really beginning to annoy me! Fortunately, I know what'll cheer me up." Jumba said. He grabbed his blaster and aimed it for Kairi's head. But suddenly, Stitch leaped onto Jumba's back. He spit up a carrot and plugged Jumba's blaster with it.

"Hey. Now what did you do that for? Oh boy." Jumba said. He saw the gun was overloading and was about to explode! Lilo screamed as Kairi grabbed her. She dropped the phone. Donald squawked in fear as they ran outside the house. Behind them, Stitch and Jumba were fighting over the gun.

"You take it!" they both kept shouting to each other. But just as Jumba got it and Kairi was out, the gun caused the entire house to explode! Wood went flying everywhere and a fire broke out. Stitch came rocketing out of the smoke and fell to the ground while Jumba managed to get out.

"Oh. That....That was not according to plan..." Jumba grumbled before fainting. The explosion was loud enough to catch ear of Nani and Goofy. She looked up at the smoke coming from their house.

"No. Lilo....Lilo, please be okay." Nani muttered. She and Goofy raced back for the house before seeing fire trucks outside their house. But what scared Nani the most was seeing the car of Cobra Bubbles. She saw Cobra with Sora and the others, asking what happened.

"Oh no." Nani said. Meanwhile, in a space ship not too far from where Sora and the others were, the giant alien who made the footprint earlier was speaking with the Heartless. The alien was Gantu.

"What? What do you mean you weren't able to get at the little trog? What?! The Keyblade?!" Gantu growled. He growled and stomped down on a Shadow Heartless.

"Worthless maggots! Why did I think you scrawny little peons could capture someone like the trog? Ugh. I guess I'll just have to do it myself." Gantu said. As he left, Nani was soon trying to convince Cobra not to take Lilo.

"Take Lilo? What do you mean?" Goofy asked.

"I'm a social worker. I was asked to watch over Lilo and Nani's family, seeing if Nani was a proper caretaker for Lilo. But after seeing this, I highly doubt Lilo belongs here. She'll be taken with me and we'll find her a new, BETTER foster family." Cobra said. Kairi gasped.

"What?! No! You can't do that! Lilo is Nani's little sister! You can't do that!" Kairi shouted. Donald and Pete agreed.

"Besides, it wasn't Nani's fault that things are like this. It's...." Yuna began to say before Stitch walked over. Lilo saw Stitch and hugged him, full of fear. But Stitch gently pushed Lilo back and suddenly, he revealed his full alien form. His four arms, his head atenna, his back spikes, everything came out. Nani and Lilo gasped.

"You....You're one of them?" Lilo asked. Stitch looked down sadly and nodded. Lilo started building up tears and looked away.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were friends!" Lilo shouted. Stitch didn't say a word.

"Don't you get it Stitch?! You...You ruined everything! Get away from me!" Lilo shouted. She ran away from the others, tears flying from her eyes.

"Lilo! Wait! Hold on!" Sora called. But just as they were chasing after her, a gun was fired and Lilo was trapped in a green sack.

"Lilo!" Nani gasped. Just then, a large figure emerged from the forest. It was Gantu holding a blaster in his hand. He noticed he missed Stitch and looked at the trapped Lilo.

"Well, it looks like I missed." Gantu said. He picked up Lilo's bag and then turned to Stitch.

"Listen up you abomination. I've been watching you for some time now. And even though those Heartless WERE meant to capture you, I see I had to do things myself." Gantu said. Stitch growled.

"What? YOU sent those Heartless after us? Who are you?" Sora shouted.

"My name is Captain Gantu, member of the Galactic Alliance. I came here to seize custody of Experiment 626, who you call "Stitch". But seeing as I have the little girl he was bonded too, I suppose I can make a deal. I'll be at my space ship, docked by the outer edge of town. Bring me Experiement 626 in five hours....or I'll GLADLY have this girl as a play toy for the Heartless." Gantu said. Kairi gasped.

"No way! Drop her now!" Kairi shouted. Gantu huffed and walked off with Lilo.

"Lilo! No!" Nani gasped. She dropped to the ground and started to cry. Donald and Goofy glanced at Sora.

"Sora? What are we going to do?" Goofy asked. Sora didn't say a word, just standing there quietly as Gantu left.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	14. Ch 14: Gantu Versus Stitch

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 14: Gantu Versus Stitch_**

Still trying to cope with Gantu appearing and taking Lilo, Nani was crying as she dropped to her knees. Kairi felt very worried about Nani, seeing her this way. Sora was trying to think about Gantu's offer, hand over Stitch in the time given or Lilo becomes Heartless food.

"This is bad. What should we do Sora?" Yuna asked.

"Ain't it obvious? Find fish face, beat him and take back the kid. I mean, come on!" Pete said. But Pete's confident face faded when he saw Sora's uneasy gaze.

"This isn't funny Pete. We don't know where Gantu's ship is. Plus, he's got Lilo. If we try anything funny, he could really give her heart to the Heartless." Sora said. Just then, he felt Stitch tug at his leg.

"Stitch?" Sora asked. Stitch muttered "Ohana" causing the others to look kind of confused.

"Oh....Ohana? What's that?" Kairi asked.

"It must be some kind of word. Maybe it's a word aliens use?" Goofy asked. Nani shook her head.

"No. Ohana means family. And family means......" Nani said. Stitch nodded.

"Nobody....gets left behind...." Stitch said.

"Or forgotten." Nani finished. As soon as Jumba saw how Stitch seemed so attached to Lilo's family, he realized that the time with them must've caused Stitch to change.

"To think, I created you...Experiment 626. You were supposed to cause chaos, leave destruction in your wake and cause all sorts of problems. But....I am thinking you want to be....something else." Jumba said. Stitch nodded.

"Ehh....I am....sorry for attacking your home earlier....bigger girl." Jumba said. Nani looked at Jumba as she wiped the tears from her eye. Sora turned to the others.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious what needs to be done. Come on guys. Let's go get Lilo back." Sora said. The others nodded.

"Then let's go!" Donald shouted. Jumba and Pleakley agreed to join in and promised Nani that Lilo would come back. Together, the group headed out towards the woods, looking for any sign of Gantu or his ship. Back at the ship, Lilo was locked up in a teleportation pod and she banged on the glass.

"You big dummy! Let me out" Lilo shouted. Gantu looked at Lilo angrily.

"Be quiet you insignificant Earth girl. And just try and relax. You've only got about.....hmmm.....about four hours and thirty minutes left until you get to meet MY friends." Gantu said. He snapped his fingers and a Soldier Heartless appeared before Lilo. She gasped.

"It's....It's that monster from before!" Lilo gasped. Suddenly, the Heartless lunged for the glass, snarling and clawing at the glass. Lilo gasped and fell to her rear. Gantu grabbed the Heartless and chuckled.

"See? He's just DYING to meet you." Gantu said. Gantu walked away with an evil laugh, leaving Lilo afraid. In the forest of Kauaii, Sora and the others were heading towards Gantu's ship. It seems the Heartless were giving some kind of hints as to which way to go, seeing as how they stopped Sora's path a few times.

"We must be getting closer. There are more Heartless showing up." Kairi said. Sora agreed. Suddenly, a group of Shadow and Red Nocturne Heartless appeared.

"Leave these to me." Pete said. He stepped forward and cracked his knuckles. He took a running start and leaped into the air. The Heartless all screamed as Pete came crashing down on them.

"All right! Nice job Pete!" Sora called. Pete chuckled and got back up. The group charged on ahead. And with three hours and fifty minutes to spare, they reached Gantu's ship.

"That must be it!" Goofy called. They raced on board and found Gantu. He had heard them coming and he now had Lilo in his clutches. He held her over a group of Shadow Heartless.

"So, looks like you made it. Now...hand over the abomination." Gantu said. Sora raised his hand.

"First, let Lilo go!" Sora said. Gantu huffed.

"Not until I get what I want. Hand over the little pest before....." Gantu said. But just then, he saw Stitch wasn't with them!

"What the?! Where....Where is he?!" Gantu shouted. Suddenly, Gantu saw Stitch climbing the wall behind him and he grabbed Lilo. They rolled across the ground before coming to a halt.

"Stitch! You came to rescue me!" Lilo cheered. Stitch smiled.

"Nobody....gets left behind..." Stitch said. Lilo smiled but Gantu growled and pulled out his blaster.

"You're not getting away with this THAT easily. If you won't hand over the trog peacefully, I'll FORCE you to give me the experiment!" Gantu shouted. He aimed his blaster and began to fire. Sora and the others leaped out of the way and ran, constantly dodging Gantu's fire. Stitch gave Lilo to Jumba and Pleakley and the two ran. Stitch turned into a ball and rolled at Gantu, tripping him up when he turned to shoot Kairi.

"Aloha!" Stitch shouted. Gantu growled and kicked Stitch away. However, it left him open for a surprise combo attack from Sora and Kairi. Goofy used his Goofy Whirlwind and whacked Gantu's head with his shield. Donald fired Thunder after Thunder at Gantu, but the magic had little effect.

"Why you.." Gantu growled. He swatted Donald away and summoned Soldier and Large Body Heartless to keep the others busy. But with a combination attack from Sora and Donald's Comet attack, they were automatically obliterated and they even got damage on Gantu as well.

"Why you little! Take this!" Gantu shouted. He aimed his blaster, but Yuna shot it from his hand. It skidded across the ground.

"Not if I have anything to say!" Yuna called. She began firing at Gantu, causing him to constantly avoid her oncoming bullets.

"We're winning!" Kairi cheered. But suddenly, Gantu grabbed Kairi!

"Kairi!" Sora shouted. Gantu growled and grabbed his blaster with his other hand. Kairi tried to squirm herself from Gantu's grip. Gantu aimed his blaster at everyone else.

"Hold it! Nobody try anything funny or I'll CRUSH the Earth girl with my bear hands!" Gantu shouted. He started to squeeze on Kairi, putting pressure on her body. Sora groaned and used Strike Raid against Gantu. The attack striked Gantu's wrist and he dropped Kairi. She groaned as she clutched her arm.

"Kairi! Are you okay?!" Goofy called.

"Yeah. Ouch. My....My arm...ow." Kairi groaned. Stitch growled and lunged for Gantu. He bit the giant's arm and Gantu let out a yell. He threw Stitch to the ground and the two snarled.

"You think you can beat me?! Look at yourself! I'm FOUR times the size of any of you! Plus, you're nothing but a worthless abomination!" Gantu shouted. Stitch huffed.

"Stupid head. Abata no chuchi." Stitch said. Gantu growled and roared. He furiously tried to stomp Stitch with his foot.

"You're vile! You're fowl! You're FLAWED!" Gantu roared, finally crushing Stitch beneath his foot. But suddenly, Stitch grabbed Gantu's foot.

"Also cute and fluffy!" Stitch shouted. He twirled Gantu around by his feet and flung him directly out through the roof of his ship and he ended up crashing on the beach far from their location. When Sora and the others arrived, Gantu was out cold. Nani and the others came rushing over. Lilo and Nani met in a tight group hug as Stitch watched.

"We did it! Lilo's back with her family again." Goofy said. Just then, they watched as a large space ship began to land. From it, out stepped a slender alien with suited men at her side. They grabbed Stitch.

"Oh no. It's....the Head Council Woman." Pleakley gasped. She eyed Jumba and Pleakley, as well as the passed out Gantu.

"Hmph. I see I made poor mistakes when selecting men to retrieve Experiment 626. Very well then. Men? Bring the prisoner aboard my ship and we'll prepare to..." she said. But just then, Lilo approached her.

"No! You can't take Stitch. He's apart of our family. I have a paper that PROVES it!" Lilo said. She looked through her dress and took out the paperwork from the animal shelter.

"If you take him, you're kidnapping." Lilo said. Cobra approached the Council Woman.

"She's right. Even aliens have to follow the rules." he said. The Grand Council Woman got a good look at Cobra.

"You seem....familiar. Have we met?" she asked.

"The CIA....Rosswell." he said. She just remembered him, only stating that he had hair. Just then, she got a good look at Lilo and Stitch at each other's side. Lilo hugged Stitch and he hugged her back.

"What's this? Are my eyes decieving me or...has Experiment 626....?" she said. But Sora interrupted.

"Stitch. His name is Stitch. He's our friend. And if you want to take Stitch, you'll have to answer to THIS." Sora said. He pointed his Keyblade at the Grand Council Woman. She took a good look at it.

"My word. I never thought I'd see the Keyblade again." she said. Sora and the others gasped.

"Key...blade? Oh! Now Jumba is remembering! I KNEW strange looking weapon looked familiar!" Jumba exclaimed. Sora was feeling very confused. But the Grand Council Woman sighed.

"I see that if the Keyblader is against the idea of us taking Experiment 62....er, Stitch, from his family, then so be it. From this moment on, the prisoner shall serve his sentence here...on Earth. And as caretaker of the alien life-form, Stitch, this family is now under the official protection of the United Galactic Federation. We'll be checking in now and then." she said. She looked at Gantu.

"As for you Captain Gantu, if you can hear me, I am retiring you Captain Gantu. Have fun looking for a new job." she said. Gantu groaned quietly. Sora and the others cheered. Just then, something about Lilo's adoption papers began to glow.

"What...What is that?" Lilo said. She slowly stepped back as Sora saw his Keyblade reacting.

"Hey. What the....?" Sora said. But he knew what this meant. It was time to seal a Keyhole. Standing with Keyblade in hand, Sora watched as the Keyhole appeared in the sand below them.

"Wak! The keyhole!" Donald exclaimed. Sora pointed his key towards the sun and when the beam hit, it fired down a shot of rainbow streams into the Keyhole, locking it. Everyone was left in awe.

"What...What was that?" Nani asked. Sora told them that they had to be going.

"We'll miss you." Lilo said. Sora patted Lilo's head and promised they come back sometime. Just then, Sora looked at Stitch.

"Stitch? I know this sounds weird. But we need your help. The Heartless, those creatures that Gantu sent after you, are out to consume other worlds in darkness. A friend of mine asked me to form a team of people I trust in battle. So, I would like to ask if you would be willing to come with us." Sora asked. Stitch gasped and looked at Lilo. She nodded.

"Go on Stitch. If Sora needs you, then I won't stop you." Lilo said. Stitch smiled and hugged Lilo.

"Besides, I'll be waiting for you when you come back." Lilo whispered. Stitch smiled and hugged Lilo tighter. Bidding goodbye to everyone, Sora and the others prepared to head back to their ship. But before they left, Jumba had something to give Sora.

"Key bearer, here. You might want to take this with you." Jumba said. It looked like a summoning charm shaped like Stitch's head.

"What's this?" Sora asked. Jumba snickered.

"Try it and find out." Jumba said. Sora chuckled.

"Okay. Thanks Jumba." Sora said. He slipped the charm into his pocket and boarded the ship with the others. Their ship was still crash landed outside of Lilo's hula school. And after digging it out, the ship took off. Except this time, Donald was driving.

"Come on Donald. I'm sure Goofy didn't mean to crash the ship." Sora said. Donald huffed. Just then, Kairi heard something and went down to the cargo bay in the ship. Stitch remained in the control room with the others as Kairi came back up.

"Uhh...guys? We've got a stow away, I think." Kairi said. When they looked back, they saw their "stow away" was Lilo!

"Lilo?!" Goofy gasped.

"What the? How'd the little squirt get on the ship?!" Pete exclaimed. Lilo looked away.

"Sorry. But watching Stitch go off with you guys, somehow, I just couldn't say goodbye to Stitch that easily. I...hope you don't mind." Lilo said. The others all glanced at Sora, who smiled.

"Don't worry. It might be good for Stitch to have his best friend with him." Sora said. Lilo and Stitch eyed each other with a smile. The Gummi Ship flew back towards Radiant Garden with smooth sailing. They returned to the base and Sora automatically saw Kronk setting some food on the table.

"Oh! Sora! Welcome back! I hope you don't mind. But I prepare a little pre-dinner appetizers for everyone." Kronk said. Just looking at the food, Stitch's eyes grew and he looked on with wonder.

"Ooh." Stitch said. Suddenly, Stitch leaped onto the table and started to eat everything in sight! Kronk gasped as Stitch sent plate after plate flying.

"Hey! You! Little blue thing! STOP!" Kronk exclaimed. Stitch stopped and looked at Kronk, still with food in his mouth.

"That was supposed to be for everyone else. Besides, you obviously don't seem to know anything about table manners." Kronk said. Stitch just tilted his head.

"Well? What's the matter? Aren't you going to say anything?" Kronk asked. But instead of words, Stitch let off a loud belch at Kronk's face and licked his lips.

"Food...good." Stitch said. Everyone laughed their heads off as Kronk seemed defeated and rather ticked.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	15. Ch 15: The Legend of the Paopu Fruit

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 15: The Legend of the Paopu Fruit_**

A while had passed since Sora and the others returned from Kauaii with Stitch and Lilo. We join Emil, staring out a window in the team's base. Sadly, the search Emil had with the others came up empty. His friend Marta was nowhere to be found in Radiant Garden.

"Marta....where are you? I wish I knew." Emil thought. He looked back, seeing Kronk trying to control Stitch's appetite.

"Wow. This guy either has a really big stomach or my food has been tasting better lately." Kronk said. Lilo chuckled.

"Sorry. Stitch sort of has this problem. I actually wonder if he HAS a stomach." Lilo said. Sora chuckled as he passed by.

"Don't tell me we need food already." Sora sighed. Kronk nodded.

"Hey. Why don't the two of us go shopping? I really wanted to see this town some more." Lilo said. Kronk looked at her with a grin.

"Sure. Hah, why not?" Kronk said with a chuckle. As Lilo grabbed Stitch to stop his eating spree, Kronk wrote down everything Stitch had eaten. With Stitch in her arms, Lilo and Kronk waved and left. Sora glanced at Emil and saw him sadly staring out the window.

"Emil? You okay?" Sora asked. Emil sighed.

"I wish I felt all right Sora. I wish...I just wish I knew where Marta is." Emil said. Sora pulled up a chair alongside Emil.

"Let me guess. The search didn't go so well?" Sora asked. Emil nodded.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Marta is out there somewhere. We've got to just keep looking. That's all." Sora said. Just then, Sora heard Donald and Goofy come back. With them was Leon.

"Hey guys. Welcome back." Sora said. Donald and Goofy waved as Leon approached.

"Hey Sora, Donald and Goofy told me about what happened at that last world you visited. And something's got my interest." Leon said. Sora asked what.

"Well, when you went with Cloud to wherever it is you recruited Kronk, did something seem....peculiar at all?" Leon asked. Sora scratched his head.

"How peculiar?" Sora asked.

"According to Cloud's report, the Keyblade didn't go off. No one saw you sealing the world's keyhole. That's got me a bit worried." Leon said. Sora gasped, realizing that he had sealed the keyhole to Stitch's world, but NOT Kuzco's world.

"Hey! That's right! The Keyblade didn't give off any kind of signal. I thought it was strange. Maybe we should go back and have another look." Sora said. Leon nodded.

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say it's got something to do with two factors. And that's either the "Dark Knight" and his Heartless or maybe the ancient Keybladers you guys mentioned." Leon said. Sora leaned more towards the Keyblader souls.

"Hmm. Well, it's kind of late to go back to check. There's always tomorrow." Leon said. Just as Leon turned to leave, he saw Aerith enter. She had a big, furry thing in her arms.

"Oh. That's right. Sora, even though we couldn't find Marta before, we DID come across this. We couldn't get it to leave us alone. So I figured the best thing to do would be to ask you to care for it." Leon said. Aerith set the thing in her arms on the ground and it looked like a gold furred dog.

"It's....a dog?" Emil said. The dog turned it's gaze to Sora and Emil. Emil smiled and petted the dog's head.

"Hi there." a voice said. Sora and Emil gasped.

"Did that dog just say "Hi there"?" Sora asked nervously. The dog looked at Sora.

"Oh yes. My name is Dug." the dog said. Sora yelped from shock as Donald came back.

"Sora? What's going....wak!" Donald squawked as Dug leaped on him. Dug licked Donald's face. Goofy came in behind Donald.

"My master made me this collar....so that I may speak. My name is Dug. Nice to meet you." Dug said. Donald squawked.

"A talking dog?!" Donald squawked.

"Gwarsh, what's so strange about that?" Goofy asked. Donald looked back at Goofy, not sure what to say, but just shook his head. As Sora watched Dug play with Donald, he looked back at Emil.

"Hey Emil? Is there anything I could do to cheer you up?" Sora asked. Emil sighed.

"Not unless it could help find my friends." Emil said. Sora pondered for a moment, before snapping his fingers.

"Wait. I think I know what. Emil? Come with me for a second." Sora said. Emil asked where they were going, with Sora replying "You'll see" with a smile. Outside, Sora went to Cid and asked to borrow the Gummi Ship.

"Well, I haven't fixed the damage from when your friend made his "two point" landing, but it'll still fly." Cid said. Sora thanked Cid and led Emil aboard the Gummi Ship. Before boarding, Sora asked Cid if he could program the auto pilot to a "special location", telling Cid what it was in secret. Cid winked and programmed a destination into it. As the Gummi Ship flew through space, Emil looked outside.

"Whoa! This....This is amazing!" Emil exclaimed. Sora nodded.

"Where...Where are we going? You still never told me." Emil said. Just then, Emil saw something approaching them. Looking out the front, Sora and Emil saw the Gummi Ship was heading for a peculiar world, Destiny Islands.

"Welcome, Emil, to my home.....Destiny Islands." Sora said. The ship flew into Destiny Islands' atmosphere and came landing down on the island where Sora and friends played. No one saw it land as it landed on the other side of the island. Sora and Emil stepped out onto the sandy beach.

"This is....your home? Wow." Emil said. Sora led Emil to the other side of the island, where he would find what they came here for.

"Huh? What is it?" Emil asked. Sora glanced at Emil.

"Well, there's actually this....fruit. It grows on these islands and it's called the Paopu Fruit. I think you'll like it." Sora said. Emil, confused as ever, asked why this fruit seemed so valuable. Just then, they heard someone approaching. Sora and Emil looked ahead to see Selphie walking their way.

"What? You DON'T know about the Paopu Fruit? They say that if you share it with someone you really care about, it bonds you together forever and ever....through eternity even." Selphie said. Emil nodded as Selphie eyed Sora.

"And where have YOU been Sora? I've been trying to get in touch a while ago. But you've never said anything. Where have you been? And where's Kairi and Riku?" Selphie asked. Sora nervously chuckled.

"Well Selphie, the thing is...." Sora said before Selphie gave him a determined look in her eye. Sora gulped and figured there was no way around it. He told Selphie everything about that had happened since Destiny Islands was last invaded by Heartless.

"Really?! THAT'S what been happening? Wow! Then....you're.....you're an actual hero!" Selphie exclaimed. Sora nodded, but asked Selphie to keep it a secret from Tidus and the others. Selphie winked and told Sora he could count on her. Just then, she took a look at Emil. She smiled and blushed a bit.

"Say Sora, you never told me who your cute friend is." Selphie said. Emil gulped and blushed bright red. Sora watched Emil say his name in a shaky voice. After meeting Selphie, Sora showed Emil the trees that grew Paopu Fruit. They found one, ripe and ready to fall off the branch. Sora climbed up and plucked it, dropping it to Emil.

"Wow. So this is a Paopu Fruit? It looks just like a star." Emil said. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. But like Selphie said, if you share it with someone you care for, it'll bond your destiny together forever. I thought that....when we find Marta, you could give it to her." Sora said. Emil thought of Marta and smiled.

"Yeah. Maybe." Emil said. Sora smiled and looked back up at the tree. He saw another one was hanging there. Just thinking about how worried Emil was for Marta, he wondered if he would ever share one with Kairi.

"I wonder. Would Kairi....?" Sora thought. As Emil went to look around, Sora secretly took a Paopu Fruit from the tree and put it away. The two friends sat by the edge of the beach, looking out at the ocean.

"Hey....Sora?" Emil asked. Sora glanced at him.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better. I....I think it worked." Emil said. Sora chuckled.

"Sure Emil. And don't worry. Marta is out there somewhere. You just got to remember one thing." Sora said. Emil looked confused.

"What's that?" he asked. Sora pointed to Emil's chest, specifically his heart.

"Even if you and Marta are separated, if you still believe in her, your hearts will lead you to each other again." Sora said "That's how I found my friend Kairi after a storm hit our island. I never stopped believing I'd be able to see her again and we found each other." Emil looked at the fruit in his hand and imagined Marta's face.

"Marta? Don't worry. I know you're out there somewhere. So don't worry. I know....I know we'll see each other again." Emil whispered. Later on, Sora and Emil returned to Radiant Garden. And that evening, Sora asked Kairi if he could tell her something in private.

"Sure Sora. What is it?" Kairi asked. Sora and Kairi went outside the base and stood out beneath the star filled sky. Sora looked away with a blushing red face.

"Well, I brought Emil to the islands, hoping it would help him feel better." Sora said. Kairi smiled.

"I know. He told me. How's Selphie? Emil said he met her." Kairi asked. Sora said she was all right, also mentioning he wanted to give her something. Kairi chuckled and shut her eyes. Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the Paopu Fruit he plucked. Kairi opened her eyes and she smiled.

"Sora? Is this what I think it is?" Kairi asked. Sora blushed and smiled.

"Yeah. Sort of. I mean, even if this silly legend isn't real, there's no harm in trying. Right?" Sora asked. Kairi smiled and hugged Sora gently. Sora smiled and hugged her back. Unknown to them, Riku was actually watching from the window by the door. He smirked before walking off.

"Way to go Sora. I always knew it." Riku thought. As Sora and Kairi hugged, the scene changes to a open area of another world. Staring up at a rising moon was a young girl with flowers in her hair with two long ponytails and light blue eyes.

"Emil.....if you can hear me, I know you're out there. So please....come back soon. I miss you...." she said. In the ground behind her, it looked like the Olympus Coliseum could be seen. The girl shed a tear as she looked up at the moon. This was the girl, Marta Lualdi.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	16. Ch 16: Old Friends at the Coliseum

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 16: Old Friends In The Coliseum_**

As the day begins in Radiant Garden, Sora is out with Leon doing a sweep of the city. They check for any signs of the Heartless or the Dark Knight. Fortunately, their search turns up with no enemies in sight.

"Things have been going well Sora. Thanks to us, I doubt the Heartless will try anything funny for a while." Leon said. Sora nodded as he heard someone approaching. It was Rinoa.

"Rinoa? What is it?" Leon asked.

"Cid just got word of a Heartless sighting downtown. They're near Scrooge's stand." Rinoa said. Sora and Leon gasped.

"Okay! Sora? Let's go!" Leon called. Sora, Rinoa and Leon charged towards the center of town, finding Scrooge's stand surrounded by Heartless!

"Go away! Confounded pests!" Scrooge shouted. He ducked under the counter as a Heartless leaped for him. Sora and Leon arrived.

"Come on! Let's get them Leon!" Sora called. But suddenly, in a flash, bolts of lightning came crashing down and zapped out the Heartless, leaving the one that leaped at Scrooge for Sora.

"Hey. Where did that lightning come from? There's not a cloud in the sky." Rinoa said. Just then, they heard someone laughing.

"Of course not my dear! It was I!" a voice called. Sora, Leon and Rinoa looked ahead of them and saw a duck wearing a lab coat and had gray hair.

"Who are you?" Sora asked. The duck chortled.

"Well, hello dere! Allow me to introduce myself! The name is Professor Ludwig Von Drake! And what you've just witnessed was the Heartless smushing capabilities of the Von Drake Heartless Zinger System!" Ludwig chortled. Scrooge emerged from under the counter.

"Ludwig? When did YOU get here you kooky screwball?" Scrooge asked. Ludwig chuckled.

"Thank your king for that. He gave me a little call on the Teledinger and invited me to come over. Ho ho! Believe me. It was QUITE the ride here." Ludwig chuckled. Leon groaned.

"Well, I know where HE is staying." Leon said, looking at Sora. After saying goodbye, Sora brought Ludwig to their team base and Ludwig met up with Mickey.

"Thanks for coming professor. I just know you can help us with our fight against the Heartless." Mickey said. Ludwig chuckled.

"You bet your round, circular ears I can your highness. And with the ideas I've been thinking up, you'll never fight these nasty little devils the same way again." Ludwig said. Sora and the others felt a little nervous about him.

"Why is he with us again?" Seifer asked. Sora just shrugged.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel a little uneasy about this guy." Riku said. Donald sighed.

"That's Ludwig for you. He's a bit....eccentric." Donald said. Kairi chuckled.

"I think he's kind of funny. He seems like a nice guy to me." Kairi said. Mickey showed Ludwig to his room as Aerith came in.

"Aerith? What is it?" Sora asked.

"Well, Leon asked me if you were going to look at the keyhole problem in Kuzco's world. Quite frankly, I'm a bit worried about it myself." Aerith said. Sora nodded and looked at Donald and Goofy.

"Well guys? How about it? Feel like a little adventure together? Like old times?" Sora asked. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"All right. It was getting boring around here anyway." Donald said. Goofy chuckled.

"This is the first time that the three of us have visited another world all by ourselves." Goofy said. Just then, Emil walked in, hearing of Sora's mission.

"Wait. Sora? Can I come with you? Maybe Marta is wherever it is you're going." Emil asked. Sora nodded.

"Sure Emil. You can come too." Sora said. Emil thanked Sora and followed him, Donald and Goofy aboard their Gummi Ship. Cid had his eyes on Goofy, making sure to remind Sora to not let Goofy fly again.

"Gee. I'm real sorry about last time Cid. We'll be extra careful this time." Goofy said. Cid sighed and just patted Goofy's back as he followed the others. As Sora was entering the Gummi Hangar beneath the Restoration Comittee building, they all saw Cloud.

"Cloud? Uhhh....hey there. What's up?" Sora asked. Cloud eyed Sora's group.

"Leon told me you were going to head back to Kuzco's world. I'm coming too." Cloud said. Sora and the others just looked at each other and shrugged. They figured Cloud would be good since he visited Kuzco's world before. Just as they were boarding the ship, Ludwig came into the room and saw Cid.

"Ah! So YOU must be Cid. Well, the king asked me to visit you for a while. So let's get cracking." Ludwig chuckled. Cid groaned.

"Oh man. Can today get ANY worse?" Cid groaned. Just then, Merlin appeared in a poof of magic.

"Scratch that. It just got worse." Cid groaned. As Cid was left to sulk, the Gummi Ship was already traveling out in space.

"All right guys. Time for a return visit to Kuzco." Sora said. Donald looked out at the stars.

"Do you think Kuzco will remember us? Don't forget that he's the emperor now." Donald said. Sora figured Kuzco would probably remember them, given the time they had. But suddenly, the ship came under attack.

"Wak! What was that?!" Donald squawked. Cloud and Emil rushed to the windows and saw a meteor shower coming down behind them.

"It's a meteor shower. And there's a lot of them." Cloud said. The meteors began to pound the Gummi Ship's body and rocked everyone inside.

"Whoa! What's going on?!" Emil shouted "We're getting hailed on by giant space rocks!" Sora groaned and figured they'd have to change course. Sora grabbed the wheel and turned it as hard as he could to fly the ship out of the shower. When they did, they found themselves heading off course.

"Everyone okay?" Sora asked. The others nodded.

"But Sora, where are we going now?" Goofy asked. They all looked ahead of them and they saw a world before them. It had a beautiful coliseum atop and a fiendish looking town below.

"Hey. Is that....?" Cloud asked. Sora, Donald and Goofy looked on with a cheer.

"That's Hercules' world! Come on guys! Let's land." Sora said. Donald and Goofy nodded as the ship began to land. It passed through the atmosphere and landed outside the coliseum gates. Everyone stepped out and entered the coliseum.

"Wow. This REALLY brings back memories." Sora said. Cloud agreed, saying it brought back bad memories for him. Emil chuckled.

"Well, we should be lucky we landed somewhere." Emil mentioned. Sora agreed and figured that if they were here, they should convince Hercules to join their group. With Hercules on Sora's team, they'd be too strong for the Heartless to take.

"Yeah! Great idea! Come on! Let's see if he's in." Donald said. They entered the coliseum and headed out to the large training field, seeing the lobby was empty. Out in the field, they saw a short man with goat legs dusting up the field.

"Uhhh....hi there." Emil called. The short man didn't look back.

"Ah. Good. You're back. Have any luck finding that girl's friend?" he asked. The others looked confused.

"Uhhhh....no?" Emil said. The short man sighed.

"Well, tomorrow's another day. Right kid? Don't worry. Hey, by the way, can you give me a hand and get rid of this garbage?" he asked. Emil and the others glanced at a whole bunch of garbage bags by the bleachers.

"What? Uhh....excuse me. But we're not here to take out garbage." Emil said. Sora, Donald and Goofy snickered a bit before the goat man's tail stood straight up.

"What?! Hey! I just asked for a simple favor. Not to hear some....heh?!" the man shouted before turning around. It was Phil, Hercules' trainer. He gasped when he saw Sora.

"Hey hey! The junior heroes are back! What's up? How've you guys been?!" Phil laughed.

"Hey! We're NOT junior heroes anymore! We're REAL heroes!" Donald squawked. Sora chuckled.

"Good Phil. How about you?" Sora asked.

"Eh, you know me. Gotta keep that big champ of mine well trained. Otherwise, who KNOWS what'll happen to the guy." Phil said. He got a look at Cloud and gasped, remembering Cloud from the last time they met.

"So, how's your adventure been? You guys found your friends yet?" Phil asked. Sora nodded and even said they made a new one, introducing Emil to Phil. When Phil heard Emil's name, he approached him and looked over Emil.

"Uhhh....what? Is...Is there something on me?" Emil asked. Phil chuckled and snapped his fingers.

"Say.....Emil, was it? You wouldn't happen to know anything about a girl named Marta, would ya?" Phil asked. Emil and Sora gasped.

"Yes! Yes I do! She's my best friend! Why? Is she here?" Emil asked.

"Yeah. The little girl just came into town not too long ago. About a day or two ago actually." Phil said. Goofy tried to count the days, seeing this meant that Marta's arrival here was the same day Sora met Emil.

"Do you know where she is?" Donald asked. Phil stroked his chin.

"Well, she's probably still out with Hercules. With any luck, they'll be back in....oh. Here they are." Phil said. Sora and the others looked back and saw Hercules emerging onto the field. At his side was Marta.

"Sora? Hey! I thought that ship outside looked familiar. When did you guys get here?" Hercules chuckled.

"Hey Herc. Nice to see you too." Sora said. Marta's eyes looked around the field, stopping when she saw Emil. She gasped and so did Emil.

"Emil? Is that really you?" Marta muttered. Emil smiled.

"Marta! You're all right!" Emil called. He rushed to her as tears filled Marta's eyes. She ran to Emil and they met in a hug.

"Emil! It's you! It REALLY is you!" Marta cheered.

"Marta, I'm so glad you're okay." Emil said. Marta giggled as tears dripped down her face. Sora and Hercules smiled, feeling glad the two friends met. But as Marta and Emil were together again, things were stirring in the Underworld. In Hades' Chamber, he was in a meeting with someone. It was the Dark Knight and two of his white hooded followers.

"So hold on now, let me see if I got this right. YOU want ME to let you have access to the many killjoy ghouls in MY Underworld? Now how does this benefit me?" Hades asked. The Dark Knight snapped his fingers and Heartles sprouted up at his side. Hades looked on with an intrigued look.

"By allying yourself with me, I shall help you in your quest to destroy Hercules. Plus, with the Heartless at your side, that can be possible...since my Heartless are far stronger than anything your "previous client" could've given you." the Dark Knight said. Hades smirked, still remembering Maleficent. But Hades still wanted to know what the souls of the dead meant to him.

"Well, let's just say there's a project that I'm working on. A very big one. Hopefully, with the souls I might find here, I can give birth to a whole new species of evil monsters. The Lifeless will be stronger than any Heartless and together, we can rule these simple worlds." the Dark Knight said. Hades smirked and chuckled.

"Say, if these Heartless DO have a chance to turn Hercules into a Heartless, then.....I'll agree to it IF you let me play around with Wonder Boy once he's a Heartless." Hades asked. The Dark Knight nodded and Hades chuckled.

"Then I do believe that we've got a deal!" Hades sneered. He and the Dark Knight shook hands.

**_TO BE CONTINUE_**


	17. Ch 17: Vincent's Descent

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 17: Vincent's Descent_**

At the coliseum, everyone got a chance to get acquainted with each other and even relate stories about what has been happening. Hercules was glad to hear Sora found his friends and Marta was glad to be with Emil again.

"Marta? What happened? The last time I saw you, Palmacosta was being attacked by those strange monsters. Where did you go?" Emil asked. Marta looked away.

"Well, I...I don't know. After we got separated, I tried to escape and I was surrounded by those monsters. There were too many of them." Marta said. In a flashback, Marta was in a burning Palmacosta, surrounded by Air Soldier, Assault Rider and Nightwalker Heartless. She gasped and backed against a wall. The Heartless suddenly lunged at her.

"I thought I was a goner. But....I saw a weird flash of light and I must've been unconscious. Because when I woke up, Hercules found me outside the coliseum walls." Marta said. She slowly leaned against Emil.

"But...I'm really glad that you're here Emil." Marta said. Emil smiled.

"Me too Marta." Emil said. But just then, Emil saw a disappointed look on Phil's face.

"Uhh....what?" Emil asked. Phil looked at Marta.

"Hey Marta, you SURE this guy is your "shining knight" that you meant?" Phil asked. Marta giggled.

"Of course he is. Emil is the one who always protected me." Marta said. But Phil broke her happy moment when he was laughing his head off.

"You....You serious? This guy? Mr. Short and Skinny Armed here is your "dream boat"? Ha ha ha! Oh! That's rich! That is SO rich!" Phil laughed. Sora and Donald groaned.

"Phil? Come on now. Cut that out." Hercules sighed. But Phil couldn't seem to stop laughing so much.

"Come on Marta. Admit it. This guy CAN'T be that great hero you met. Look at him! The kid doesn't look like he ever wielded a weapon in his life!" Phil chuckled. Emil looked rather discouraged.

"Hey! That's not very nice. What are....Why are.....uhhhh..." Emil said. Phil only laughed more.

"See? The kid's a nervous wreck! Listen to him!" Phil exclaimed. Marta had enough and grabbed Phil.

"Look you! Emil IS what I said he was! He's brave! He's kind and he's got a heart to match! So SHUT UP about my friend or you're gonna get it!" Marta shouted. Phil suddenly got an angry expression on his face.

"All right. Fine. Your friend thinks he's tough? Let's see if he REALLY has what it takes." Phil said. Soon enough, Emil found himself in the center of the training field. Phil looked at him with a ticked off expression.

"Uhhhhh....listen....Phil, was it?" Emil stuttered. But Phil snorted.

"Sorry kid. But I don't buy for one minute that you're really what your friend says. If you're all that, then let's see you beat me in a fight!" Phil shouted. Emil gasped as Phil charged.

"What?! No! Wait! Phil!" Emil exclaimed. But Phil didn't stop. He charged for Emil quickly. Almost out of instinct, Emil whipped out his blade and knocked Phil back with a single swing. He bounced across the ground and skidded in the dirt. Phil groaned.

"Why you little...!" Phil growled. But suddenly, Hercules came down and grabbed Phil.

"Easy now Phil. Easy." Hercules said. Phil huffed and spit dirt from his mouth. Just then, the others heard a chuckle. They looked to see Megara.

"Well, well, someone started a party and forgot to invite me." Meg said. Sora and the others waved to Meg from the bleachers.

"And look who it is. How've you been Sora?" Meg chuckled. Just then, a big black cloud poofed onto the field. It was Hades!

"Yes. How've ya been kid? Still handling that Keyblade well?" Hades asked. Sora and the others gasped.

"Hades." Cloud muttered. Sora, Donald and Goofy leaped onto the field and drew their weapons.

"Whoa. Whoa. Hold on now. Am I DOING anything bad? Do you need a reason to attack me automatically? Because, hey, I wanted to just pop in and give you all some news." Hades said. Sora's eyes narrowed as Hades grinned. By his side, a dark corridor opened and out stepped the Dark Knight.

"Wak! The Dark Knight?!" Donald squawked. Sora groaned.

"Not good." Sora said. Hades saw Cloud in the bleachers.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. How ya doing kid?" Hades asked. Cloud huffed and began to walk off.

"Sora? Who are these guys? What's going on?" Emil asked. Sora told him he would explain later. Feeling worried, Emil told Marta to stay down. Marta nodded and went into the bleachers.

"Now then, allow me to introduce someone that is sure to be a good match for you Hercules." Hades said. Hercules groaned.

"Who could it be Hades? Face it. I've beaten everybody you sent my way." Hercules said. Hades snickered.

"Is this necessary? Why not let my Heartless....?" the knight asked before Hades stopped him.

"What's the rush? We've got time. Besides, maybe I don't NEED the Heartless if this guy is as good as I think he is." Hades said. With a snap of his fingers, a black cloud of smoke appeared besides him. Cloud looked back and gasped, seeing someone in the smoke. He wore black clothes under a long red cape and had long black hair. It was Vincent Valentine, dressed in his Dirge of Cerberus outfit.

"Vincent? Is that you?" Cloud asked. Vincent didn't respond, only seeming to have his eyes on Sora and Hercules. Without a word, he drew his gun and pointed it at Sora.

"Meet Vincent. He's the newest addition to the Underworld family. Though he's not DEAD, sure, he's going to be. All he's gotta do....is just take down a few pests." Hades said. The Dark Knight groaned and told him he would be exploring the Underworld and left in a dark corridor. Hades took to the bleachers and poofed up a cigar.

"Fine. The grump doesn't want to sit around and watch me finally get even with these twerps? Fine. Vincent? Do your job." Hades said. He snapped his fingers and Vincent's eyes glowed red. He began firing at them, causing everyone to duck.

"Phil! Get Marta and Emil OUT of here!" Hercules shouted. Phil nodded and went to get them. But he saw that Emil drew his sword.

"Stay away from my friends!" Emil shouted. Phil groaned.

"Kid! Get back here! That guy's gonna turn you into swiss cheese!" Phil shouted. But Vincent didn't say a word as he fired again. The others jumped away while Vincent seemed to have his eyes locked on Sora.

"Once I defeat you, I'll get what I want." Vincent muttered. But suddenly, Cloud lunged for Vincent and grabbed his arms. He got behind Vincent and held him back.

"Vincent! Stop this! Stop it right now!" Cloud shouted. Vincent looked back and groaned, forcing Cloud away.

"Vincent! Don't you recognize me?! It's me! Cloud!" Cloud shouted. But Vincent only kept shooting at Sora and Hercules. Donald tried to attack with a sneak attack magic blast, but Vincent saw him coming and kicked Donald away. Goofy came at him next, but was knocked away. Emil yelled and charged for Vincent with his sword at the ready. Marta gasped, popping her head out from the bleachers.

"Emil! You numbskull! Get BACK here!" Phil shouted. But Emil didn't listen. He leaped towards Vincent and unleashed a Havoc Strike attack, catching Vincent off guard. The attack successfully hit, but Vincent was able to get a swift strike to the back of Emil's head.

"Emil!" she screamed. Emil fell to the ground.

"Come on guys!" Sora called. Sora, Donald and Goofy all came at him at once. But Vincent fired stray shots and scared them back. Suddenly, Vincent attacked Sora with a surprise kick to the gut and grabbed Donald, throwing him at Sora. The two fell to the ground as Vincent fired. But luckily, Goofy intervened with his shield, deflecting the shot. But Vincent came at Goofy and rammed into him, knocking him down. Hercules came charging towards Vincent, but he drew his gun and pointed it at Sora and friends.

"Oh no!" Hercules gasped. Emil and Meg watched as Vincent stood there, ready to pull the trigger.

"Do not get in the way." Vincent said. But just then, someone came charging towards Vincent and attacked him with a powerful strike. As soon as he was hit, Vincent's eyes returned to normal and he passed out. Behind Vincent, with sword in hand, was Auron.

"Auron!" Sora, Donald and Goofy cheered. Hades saw Vincent out on the ground and growled.

"WHY THAT LITTLE.....!" Hades snarled "He broke my control of him!" Hades groaned and stood up.

"Auron! Why did you have to ruin the fun for me? I thought you weren't going to interfere!" Hades shouted. Auron huffed.

"You don't boss me around Hades. And even if you did, Sora happens to be....an acquaintance of mine." Auron said. Hades growled and looked at the passed out Vincent.

"Then WHY did you have to go and do what you did to my new friend?" Hades asked. Auron turned to Hades and pointed his sword at him.

"To make sure no one else falls for your lies again." Auron said. Cloud knew where Auron was coming from and drew his blade.

"Yeah. Don't forget how you tricked me." Cloud said. Hades groaned.

"All right. I'll admit it. I might've lied a bit with you Cloud, but I'm totally legit with Vincent. I promised him he would see the girl of his dreams and I was gonna keep it." Hades said. Auron huffed, causing Hades to start burning red.

"Forget it. Forget ALL of you. I'm outta here!" Hades shouted. He flashed away in a puff of smoke. Later, Vincent began to stir. When he awoke, he found himself in the coliseum lobby. The first familiar face he saw was Cloud.

"Cloud? Is that you?" Vincent asked. Cloud nodded as Vincent groaned.

"Vincent, that your name? Hi. I'm Sora. He's Donald and this is Goofy. What happened?" Sora asked. Vincent groaned.

"Hades....that rotten creep. He brainwashed me....took control of me when I showed weakness." Vincent said. Cloud asked Vincent to explain and he did. He was from the Hollow Bastion Restoration Comittee, an agent, that was meant to watch the Heartless activity in certain worlds. That's when he met Hades. Hades could see something in Vincent that seemed empty, most likely his desire to see the girl he loved, Lucrecia, again.

"Who's that?" Sora asked.

"She's a scientist who worked with my dad. Hades promised me I would see her again. But, when I started feeling like he was lying, Hades used some....weird magic and brainwashed me." Vincent said. Emil figured that must've been why his eyes glowed red. Marta hugged Emil.

"Well, still, you were really brave there Emil. I'm happy you protected me. Thank you." Marta said. Emil chuckled and rubbed his head.

"Oh. Your welcome Marta. I was....I was just trying to do what I thought was right." Emil said. Phil huffed.

"Well, even though what you did was downright stupid, you've got moxy kid. I'll give you that. You remind me of another bone head I trained." Phil said, glancing at Hercules. Meg chuckled as Hercules blushed. Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Hades returned and was still irritated.

"Ooh! I HATE those kids! I hate them so much that they just drive me....WHAT?!" Hades shouted. He saw the Underworld was in complete chaos! He even saw his giant guardian, Cerberus, causing havoc. All of Cerberus' eyes glowed red, brighter than usual.

"Cerberus?! WHAT do you think you're doing?!" Hades exclaimed. Suddenly, the Dark Knight appeared.

"The deal is off Hades. Your Underworld is nothing but a waste." he said. Hades growled and his hair burned bright red.

"Then what's the deal with trashing the Underworld?!" Hades shouted. The Dark Knight huffed.

"Anything I decide is waste....gets destroyed. And don't worry about your pet dog. He's been a good boy." he said. Hades really got mad and fired a fireball at him, only for it to get redirected at him like it was nothing. Hades groaned and got knocked down. Suddenly, one of the Dark Knight's minions in it's white coat appeared.

"Well, since we don't have anything to gain here, may I do the honors?" it asked. The Dark Knight nodded.

"By the way Hades, what I said before about ruling the worlds by your side, that was all a lie." Dark Knight said "I'm not looking for any stooges to be affiliated with." He then left in a dark corridor, leaving Hades completely furiated. The figure in the white hood removed it's hood and showed a female face with long silver hair in a long pigtail and a strange mark on her forehead, a mixture of a Heartless and Nobody symbol. She had blood red eyes.

"Well, well, so you're Hades. Nice to meet you. You may call me Lilith. Okay Cerberus, my little pet, time to play." Lilith said. She casted her arm towards Hades and Cerberus snarled. It turned towards Hades and looked ready to attack!

"What? No! Cerberus! Heel! Down boy! Heel! STOP!" Hades exclaimed.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	18. Ch 18: Lifeless in Battle

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 18: Lifeless in Battle_**

As Hades' problems only started to begin in the Underworld, Sora and the others were still trying to decide what to do about the recent appearance of the Dark Knight. Sora knew right away that this knight meant trouble for all of them.

"But what are we going to do? He must really powerful. Michael even said he was the first Keyblader." Goofy pointed out. Donald nodded.

"Well, we're never going to know unless we try. I remember Leon telling me about a little something that you learned about the Keyblade when you fought your friend." Cloud said "The Keyblade would never accept someone who wields the power of darkness." Emil and Marta looked on, learning new little things each moment.

"But, that sword he has. It doesn't look like a Keyblade." Donald said. Hercules approached the others.

"Wait a minute. Keyblade? Is that what your weapon is called Sora? It sounds really familiar." Hercules said. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. It's this." Sora said, showing him the Keyblade.

"Oh yeah. Hey Phil? Remember that old legend they were talking about? About the guy with the Keyblade?" Herc asked. Sora and the others gasped.

"Wait. A Keyblade wielder? Wak! It must be one of the ancient ones!" Donald squawked. Sora and Goofy both nodded.

"Hey yeah! I remember that! The stories said he was just as strong as YOU are Herc. But, come on, do you REALLY think somebody else out there, or even in a past life, could match you?!" Phil chuckled. Hercules shrugged, saying that it probably should be mentioned. Sora asked to hear more about the Keyblader and Herc told him, even saying that he was called Atlas.

"That's really great to hear Herc. We're actually on a quest to find these ancient Keybladers. If one existed here, maybe his spirit came back." Sora said. Now Herc asked what Sora meant and Sora explained.

"Wow. That's a real story Sora. But if Atlas is real or not, he should be able to help us deal with Hades and the knight." Hercules said. Sora agreed.

"But do you guys even have a way to find Atlas?" Marta asked. Sora scratched the back of his head, unsure not to say.

"Not that I can think of." Sora said. Just then, Donald saw something peculiar by the wall behind Phil. Right by his hoof on the floor, there seemed to be a keyhole shape in the tile. Donald pointed it out and Phil stepped aside to get a better look.

"Whoa. Never noticed a hole in the floor before." Phil said. Just then, a strange light radiated from Sora's Keyblade, almost telling him what he should do. Without a word, Sora approached the hole and pointed his Keyblade at it. A beam of light shot out and the sound of a lock opening was heard. Before Sora, the wall slowly slid open and a dark corridor could be seen.

"And I NEVER saw this before." Phil added. The group began to slowly walk down the hallway as candles suddenly lit up. Donald and Goofy stayed close to Sora. Marta clinged to Emil's arm, worried about what was ahead. As Sora and Herc led the way, Hades was still running terrified from Cerberus. Lilith only laughed as she watched the god of death flee.

"Aw. What's the matter? Don't you wanna play with Cerby?" Lilith asked in a kiddish voice. Hades growled.

"Cerberus! Bad dog! BAD DOG!" Hades yelled. But suddenly, Cerberus pounced on him and growled, with all three sets of eyes glaring at him. Lilith giggled.

"Good boy Cerby. Play nice now." Lilith said. Meanwhile, Sora and the others just entered a chamber. It seemed to have been buried deep beneath the coliseum lobby.

"Gawrsh. All of this was underneath the coliseum?" Goofy said. Donald was amazed, spying four statues depicting a powerful and muscular warrior, all holding the same sword. In the middle of the room, Sora could see something floating there on a pedestal. It appears as a small bronze ring.

"Hey. What's that? A ring?" Emil asked. Sora slowly approached the ring and touched it. But in a flash, a giant light engulfed Sora and he was warped into another world. He appeared on the coliseum ring, but the sky was covered in light. At his side was someone he never expected to see, Roxas.

"Roxas?! When....Where did you come from?" Sora gasped. Roxas looked at himself.

"I...I don't know. What happened?" he asked. Suddenly, they heard a boastful laugh as someone approached. He appeared as a tall man, about Hercules' size, armed with muscular arms, green eyes with an dark red beard and a Keyblade made of rock. He wore powerful battle armor, more plated than Hercules.

"Whoa. Wait. You're not...." Sora muttered. The man chuckled and planted his blade in the ground.

"That's right dear boy. I am Atlas, mighty Keyblader of Olympus Coliseum! Guardian of the gods! I see I finally meet another Keyblader.....after all this time. Good. Thought I was gonna die again....of boredom!" Atlas boasted. He laughed with a deep voice.

"No way. You're....a Keyblader? You're huge!" Roxas exclaimed. Atlas patted Roxas' head.

"Aye laddy, I be a Keyblader. And....hmm?" Atlas said. He fell silent as he closed his eyes. In his mind, he pictured the struggle between Hades and Cerberus.

"Atlas? What is it? Something wrong?" Sora asked. Atlas hummed before turning his gaze to Sora.

"It would seem that there be a little trouble somewhere. Down in the underworld, Hades is being chased by his own dog." Atlas said. Sora and Roxas gasped, thinking the Dark Knight was behind this. Roxas exclaimed that they had to do something. Atlas nodded.

"Usually, I wouldn't help another Keyblader unless they could prove themselves of true colors. But seeing as this is an emergency, I'll lend my powers to ye. Wear this ring and whenever you need me, just give me a call." Atlas said. He made the ring Sora touched before appear in his palm and gave it to Sora. As he put it on, he could feel power welling up inside him and the light flashed him back to the cavern. But when he opened his eyes, he was on the floor and surrounded by his friends.

"Sora? Hey! He's okay!" Emil cheered. Marta sighed.

"Huh? What....What happened?" Sora asked. He groaned and rubbed his head.

"Try telling us. You fainted the second you touched that ring." Vincent said. Sora told them about seeing Roxas and Atlas, surprising Phil a bit.

"So he DOES exist. But wait. He told you that Hades needs help?" Phil asked. Hercules huffed.

"Yeah right. Maybe we shoud just go and check up on him. With Atlas' power with you Sora, I'm sure he'll be in bigger trouble than he is now." Herc said. Sora nodded and looked at his hand, seeing Atlas' ring on his finger. Together, Sora and the others headed down for the Underworld and found the ruined remains of the Underdrome.

"Wak! What happened?!" Donald squawked. They heard a loud yell and saw Cerberus about to eat Hades! The giant dog heads barked and snapped their giant fangs at Hades, forcing them back with fireballs.

"Back! Back you mangy mutt!" Hades exclaimed. Cerberus continued to snap it's jaws at Hades and finally caused him to fumble. But just before Cerberus could get him, Sora threw his Keyblade at Cerberus and conked it in the head. The blow was powerful enough to knock out Cerberus. Hades gasped for breath as he slowly crept away from Cerberus.

"Gawrsh! You were right Sora!" Goofy gasped. Just then, Lilith saw Sora and groaned.

"Oh poo. Look what you did to my little pet. You hate animals or something?" she asked. Sora and the others spotted Lilith above them.

"Hey! Who are you?!" Emil shouted.

"Hmph. Such a mouthy little boy. The name is Lilith, a Lifeless of your friend...the Dark Knight." Lilith said. Sora and the others looked confused.

"A Lifeless?" Cloud asked "What's that?" Lilith giggled and told him a Lifeless was a creation of the Dark Knight, a humanoid being made from a Heartless and Nobody fusing together. She was born from a Sorceror Nobody and a Darkball Heartless. Sora gasped.

"Nobodies?! I thought we destroyed them!" Sora shouted. Lilith giggled.

"Guess you thought wrong. Well, now that you hurt my little friend, I'm afraid I'm going to have to hurt YOU now. Don't hate me, okay?" Lilith said. Her face suddenly went from cute to pure evil as the others drew their weapons. Just then, Cerberus began to stir. But it wasn't like before. Hades could tell just from looking at it's eyes. Hades snapped his fingers.

"Cerberus! Get that mangy brat!" Hades exclaimed. Cerberus snarled and joined Sora in facing Lilith.

"Here we go! Bye bye now!" Lilith said. With a giggle, she suddenly broke herself up into multiple clones and began flying around them in a circle.

"Whoa! Where is she?! Which one's the real her?" Hercules asked. Suddenly, the clones began diving by like mosquitos and struck them without a sound. Donald was sent colliding into Goofy and Marta was struck in the back, forcing her to the floor.

"Marta! You okay?!" Emil asked. But quickly, Lilith struck Emil from behind and hit the floor. Phil yelped and ducked down. But Cerberus snarled and let out a loud roar. The force of the dog's roar forced Lilith back together.

"Aw man!" Lilith groaned.

"There she is! Get her!" Auron shouted. Vincent fired his guns towards Lilith, but she was extremely fast at dodging them. However, it gave Cloud an opening to lunge for her and slash her with his blade. Lilith yelled and slowly fell to the ground.

"Hey! No fair! You're not supposed to do that! Hmph! Fine! Have this then!" Lilith shouted. She suddenly changed into a floating purple orb and started zooming around like a rocket.

"Wak!" Donald exclaimed. Lilith came rocketing over Donald's head and attacked from behind. Goofy drew his shield and forced her back. But Lilith's strength was too much and Goofy fell down.

"Die you little witch." Vincent said. He drew his guns and fired, but the bullets couldn't phase it and he was struck in the chest. Sora lunged for Lilith's orb and the two collided. Sora knocked Lilith to the ground and groaned, taking human form again.

"Come on! Get her!" Sora called. Joined by Cloud, Sora and Cloud unleashed twin Sonic attacks and caused Lilith to become imobalized with each strike. Their final strikes sent her flying into the air.

"Okay. Here I go!" Emil called. But Phil grabbed his arm.

"Hold it kid! You are NOT going near that crazy girl! What about your friend?! She just got hurt!" Phil shouted. Emil looked at Marta, who looked at him.

"Emil. I'm...I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Go get her." Marta said. Emil nodded and, after breaking free from Phil, drew his sword and came at Lilith. But Lilith saw Emil and growled. She summoned blocks around herself and sent them around her. They struck everyone and they couldn't come closer. But the giant dog growled and came charging at Lilith, disrupting her attack and forcing her to fall.

"Gah! No! That is it! You guys are cheating! You hear me?! Stop cheating!" Lilith exclaimed. Auron huffed.

"We're cheating? It's called trying to survive." Auron said. He drew his sword and leaped for Lilith. But full of rage, Lilith unleashed a massive energy surge. The wave struck Auron and he dropped down.

"Gawrsh! What was that?!" Goofy shouted. Suddenly, Lilith's appearance had drastically changed. She had a Darkball's face under her silver hair, her body seemed more like a Nobody and she had red sabres coming from her sleeves.

"Die!" she shouted. She began to fly around and swing her arms like a maniac.

"Whoa! She's faster now!" Sora exclaimed. Sora drew his blade in defense as Lilith banged at it frantically. Sora could feel himself losing his balance with each strike. But suddenly, Sora's ring glowed.

"Allow ME to help Sora!" a voice called. It sounded like Atlas. Suddenly, Sora was engulfed in light and when it faded, his outfit changed to a mixture of Atlas' and his clothes, even wielding his Keyblade by his own.

"Atlas? Is...Is that you?" Sora asked. He could hear Atlas' voice.

"Yes it is Sora. I've seen enough. Let's show this vexen what happens to those who try and take on a Keyblader." Atlas' voice said. Sora nodded and charged for Lilith. With each step he took, he left a quake and his strikes against Lilith sounded like bombs exploding. Hercules gasped.

"Wow! Sora must be using Atlas' power! He's....amazing!" Hercules exclaimed. Lilith growled after being struck away. She yelled and screamed, acting like a baby.

"No! No! No! No! NO!!!!" Lilith screamed. She let off a ear piercing scream and came flying at Sora. She prepared to pierce Sora in the chest. However, Emil intervened.

"Out of my way you little brat!" Lilith screamed. But before she could get Emil to move, he leaped for her and with one clear swing, he sent a powerful slash up the middle of Lilith's chest. As the two were in midair, Lilith glared at Emil and saw glowing red eyes.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue....you big cry baby?" Emil asked in a more aggressive voice. Lilith dropped to the ground and her sabres faded away. Emil's eyes returned to normal and he shook his head.

"Phew. Hey! Nice moves kid! Excellent!" Phil cheered. However, Lilith got back up and growled. She was starting to warp, switching between human and monster form.

"You....You can't beat me! I'm....I'm the greatest life there ever was! You....You'll going to.....to....PAY for this!" Lilith snarled. However, she heard a deep growl behind her. She looked back and saw all of Cerberus' heads locked on her with each flashing their massive teeth.

"Aah!" she screamed. Cerberus snarled and it's top half rose into the air. Lilith could only continue screaming as Cerberus came crashing down onto her, completely crushing her beneath it's giant paws. Sora and the others gasped from shock. Through Cerberus' claws, a heart began to rise up before completely disintegrating. Cerberus stepped back and they saw Lilith was gone.

"She's.....gone?" Hercules muttered. Auron and Cloud remained quiet, unsure what to make of this. But with Lilith defeated and Cerberus returned to normal, Sora and the others returned to the coliseum. Hades followed.

"Whoo boy. Sure glad THAT'S over with." Hades said. Sora crossed his arms.

"Well, if you didn't agree to help that guy..." Sora said. Hades chuckled, quickly pointing out that it was the knight who decided to turn on him.

"In any case, I guess we can say that things are definitely gonna settle down here." Phil said. From afar, Meg returned and asked Herc how it went, saying things were all right in the coliseum. Marta approached Emil.

"Emil? Thanks for protecting me before." Marta said. Emil chuckled.

"Oh. It's all right Marta. I'm just glad you're not hurt that seriously." Emil said. Marta giggled. Suddenly, Sora's ring began to glow. It levitated off his finger and rose to the sky. In a flash, the keyhole appeared before Sora. But right at Sora's side was Atlas.

"The keyhole. Never thought I'd see another one in ages. Well, shall we?" Atlas asked. Sora chuckled and nodded. Together, Sora and Atlas unleashed beams of light at the keyhole and a giant lock sound was heard. The keyhole was sealed, vanishing in a flash.

"Whoa!" Emil gasped.

"What....What was that?!" Marta stuttered. Sora chuckled.

"It's the Keyblade's way of saying it's time to go." Sora said. But just before he did, Sora turned to Herc and asked him if he could do them a favor and join their team.

"Let me guess. This has something to do with that story you told me earlier. Right?" Herc asked. Sora nodded.

"Could you Hercules? With muscle like you, the Heartless would be cake walk." Sora said. Hercules glanced at Meg and Phil, both giving a thumbs up.

"Sure. I suppose a "hero" like myself has time to help a fellow hero out. Like I always say, heroes are always busy." Herc said, high fiving Sora.

"That's for sure." Sora said. Saying goodbye to Meg and Phil, Sora returned to the Gummi Ship with his friends, Hercules, Cloud, Auron and Vincent.

"Wait a second. Why is he coming?" Donald asked. Auron huffed.

"What? Am I suddenly not welcomed? I just thought that you guys could use a "guardian". But, if you don't want me..." Auron said. Sora quickly silenced Donald and told him that they would be happy to have Auron. Auron turned with a smirk.

"All right then." Auron said. Sora and Goofy chuckled, leaving Donald a bit steamed. With Sora at the helm, the Gummi Ship left Olympus and headed back for Radiant Garden. Sora hoped that Leon would understand about the detour they were forced to take. When the ship returned, Leon and Yuffie were there to greet them.

"Welcome back Sora. So what......what the?" Yuffie stuttered before seeing Vincent.

"Vincent? But...I thought you were staying at the coliseum, making sure things were all right there." Leon said. Vincent looked away as Yuffie approached with a smile.

"Well, things are pretty quiet now. Not much to say." Vincent said. Leon glanced at Sora, asking for an explanation and Sora explained everything. After telling Leon about it all, they returned to their team base with Herc, finding Seifer restraining a young boy with silver hair.

"Geez! If you couldn't answer my question, I don't see why you're trying to kill me!" the kid exclaimed.

"Well, little punks like YOU should know not to go snooping around!" Seifer shouted. The boy struggling with Seifer could easily be identified by Emil and Marta. It was Genis Sage, their half-elf friend.

"Genis?!" Emil and Marta gasped. Seifer and Genis froze in place, staring at Sora and the others.

"Oh. Marta, Emil....hey there." Genis said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	19. Ch 19: Secrets of Love

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 19: Secrets of Love_**

Two days have passed since Sora and his friends made their detour trip to Olympus Coliseum and things were nice and calm in the team's base. As always, Kronk was in the kitchen making breakfast and Pete was asked to take the garbage out.

"D'oh. If I knew I was gonna be a garbage boy, I don't know WHY I agreed to help. Ugh. There's gotta be SOME way of doing this job easier." Pete said. As he was about to head out, Hercules came by.

"Hey Pete. What's wrong?" Herc asked. Pete eyed Hercules.

"Eh....got some dirty sacks of trash to get rid of. Honestly, ain't there a way for a guy to take out the trash without leaving the comforts of home?" Pete asked. Hercules thought for a moment and took the bags. He then approached the wall and actually lifted it right from it's hinges in the ground!

"How about this way?" he asked. Pete was left speechless and his eyes widened as wide as possible. With a quick toss, Herc threw the trash outside and then set the wall back down.

"Duhh.....yeah. There's a good way." Pete muttered. In Kairi's room, she was having her hair brushed by Marta. Kairi and Marta were getting along just fine with each other, almost acting like they were sisters.

"Your hair is really pretty Kairi. It's so smooth." Marta said. Kairi chuckled.

"Well, a girl's got to keep up her looks. Right?" Kairi said teasingly. Marta and Kairi laughed, being heard by Sora passing by outside.

"Glad to see they're getting along." Sora thought with a smile. He passed by Genis, sitting at the table with Emil. He was taking a taste of Kronk's cooking.

"Wow! This is...This is so good!" Genis exclaimed. Kronk chuckled.

"Well, I don't like to brag but that's probably one of the best dishes I ever whipped up." Kronk said. Genis turned to Kronk.

"Well, I'm actually pretty good myself. Maybe sometime I could show you some of the stuff I could make?" Genis asked. Kronk chuckled.

"Why not? That sounds great." Kronk said. But just as Genis was about to eat some more, Genis saw his plate was gone the minute he turned back!

"Hey! Where did....?!" Genis exclaimed before hearing a burp. He looked to the left and saw Stitch.

"You..." Genis grumbled. Stitch chuckled and licked his lips. Lilo came in with a gasp.

"Stitch! No! Bad boy! That wasn't for you!" Lilo shouted. She grabbed Stitch and pulled him off the table. Sora chuckled and sighed. Back in their room, Kairi was now brushing Marta's hair.

"Hey Marta? Can I ask you something? Something between us?" Kairi asked. Marta nodded.

"You really seem to like Emil. Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" Kairi asked. Marta gasped and started to blush.

"Oh well, I guess....we are. Emil's my best friend and the best boy I could ever meet. He's kind and sweet and very thoughtful. He's even saved me a few times." Marta said. Kairi smiled, thinking about Sora's sacrifice to be a Heartless.

"I love Emil with all my heart and I know, for a definite fact, that he loves me too." Marta said. Kairi chuckled.

"That's what I thought you say. If only I could tell Sora..." Kairi said before Marta heard her.

"What was that? Did you say Sora? Oh!" Marta squealed. Kairi gulped and started to stutter. Marta turned to face Kairi and took her hands.

"You're in love with Sora! Aren't you?! Come on! Tell me! Tell me!" she cheered in a giddy voice. Kairi was unsure what to say at that moment. Not wanting to let Sora know, she and Marta went for a walk in town. The more Kairi told Marta about how Sora saved her, Marta blushed.

"Oh my! That's....That's SO romantic! You two are definitely in love! I can tell!" Marta exclaimed. Marta's exclaimations was attracting the attention of some of the other townsfolk. Kairi shushed Marta and told her to talk a little more quietly.

"How can I?! I'm so excited! You HAVE to tell him! You just HAVE to!" Marta shouted. Kairi wasn't sure she could.

"What do you mean? Are you having trouble telling him how you feel? Well, don't worry. Marta Lualdi is here to help!" Marta cheered. Kairi nervously chuckled.

"Are you two talking about love? Maybe I could join you?" a voice asked. Marta and Kairi looked back, seeing a girl with long blonde hair, a blue and white dress with blue eyes.

"No...No way. Colette?!" Marta gasped. Colette chuckled.

"Hi Marta. Nice to see you too." Colette said. Together, the three girls sat down in the town square by the fountain as a giant explosion went off at the Committee building, thanks to Ludwig. Cid was coughing and swatting away the smoke.

"Oh. Well that didn't turn out like I thought it would." Ludwig said as the pad in his hand disintegrated into ashes. But ignoring that, Kairi talked with Colette and Marta.

"Well, if you like Sora, you HAVE to tell him. That's what I say." Marta said. Colette nodded.

"That's right. What if, by some unexplained twist of fate, he ends up liking some other girl? It could be a love triangle between you....or something even worse." Colette said. Marta and Kairi gasped.

"What? What's worse than a love triangle?" Marta asked.

"A love trapezoid! No! Wait! A love octagon! Yes! That's definitely worse!" Colette said. Kairi chuckled as Marta groaned.

"Sometimes Colette, I worry about you." Marta said. Colette took Kairi's hand.

"Well, no matter what this means, you should tell your friend. If you don't, you might never have the chance again." Colette said. Kairi nervously grinned, saying that she shouldn't worry since Sora always liked her.

"Really? Has he done ANYTHING romantic with you lately? Come on. Out with it." Marta asked. Kairi nervously stuttered, unable to say anything again.

"He hasn't, hasn't he?" Marta asked.

"Well, not really. I mean, things are busy with the Heartless and everything...." Kairi said before Marta grabbed her arm.

"Then come on! I think you two deserve a little time together. Right Colette?" Marta asked. Colette nodded and followed Kairi and Marta. Meanwhile, Sora was out for a walk too. He was walking with Genis.

"Hey Sora? Mind if I ask you something?" Genis asked. Sora glanced at him and nodded.

"I think I heard Marta and Kairi talking about you earlier and....I was wondering something. How do you feel....about Kairi?" Genis asked. Sora gasped and looked away blushing.

"Oh. Well, Kairi's a really important person to me and I guess I'm really happy when we're together." Sora said. Genis asked what he meant and Sora told him about after Kairi lost her heart and it ended up in Sora.

"Wow. Talk about being close. You two must really like each other." Genis said "Well, if you do, I was wondering if I could ask you something." Sora stopped and turned to Genis.

"What is it Genis?" Sora asked. Genis started to stutter and lightly blush.

"Well, back home, there was this....girl that.....uhhh......her name's Presea." Genis muttered "And I was wondering if...." Sora chuckled, thinking Genis was asking for tips as to how to tell a girl he liked her. Sora and Genis sat down as Sora told him something important.

"I guess a way to show someone that you care about them is being a true friend to them." Sora said.

"A true friend? What's that?" Genis asked.

"Well, to me, a true friend is someone who you enjoy spending time with, a person you would do anything to help out, someone you would protect with everything you could." Sora said "At least, that's how I feel about Kairi." Genis blushed and started thinking about Presea again.

"Okay. Th....Thanks Sora." Genis said. Just then, Sora and Genis heard footsteps approaching. They looked back and saw Kairi with Marta and Colette. Kairi looked like Marta was forcing her towards Sora from behind.

"Come on Kairi! Just say SOMETHING!" Marta groaned. Kairi asked her to stop, saying this was getting annoying. Genis groaned.

"Why am I not surprised? Marta always WAS a bit of a dreamer." Genis said. Kairi managed to break away from Marta and Marta fell down. Colette looked at Kairi's face as she saw Sora.

"Oh. Hi there Sora. What's up?" Kairi asked. Sora stood up and stretched his arms.

"Me? Nothing much. I was just out for a walk with Genis." Sora said. Kairi blushed a bit and looked away.

"Well, I was wondering. There was some things I wanted to talk to you about. Would it be all right if we had a little time alone?" Kairi asked. Sora chuckled and winked.

"All right." Sora said. Sora and Kairi walked off, leaving Genis and the others behind. Marta watched them walk away with her face blushing red.

"Oh! Look! They're even holding hands! That is SO romantic!" Marta squealed. Kairi and Sora glanced at each other and smiled.

"Thanks Sora." Kairi whispered. Sora chuckled.

"Any time Kairi." Sora whispered. As they walked off, Emil saw Marta and called to her.

"Huh? Emil? Why are you here? I thought you were going to see Leon." Marta said. Emil chuckled and said he forgot to do something. He then saw Colette.

"Co..Colette?!" Emil gasped. Colette chuckled and waved. Later that day, Emil was alone with Marta and he gave her something. It was the Paopu Fruit he picked with Sora.

"Huh? What's this?" Marta asked.

"It's called the Paopu Fruit. I picked one with Sora. There's a legend behind it. They say that if you share it with someone you really care about, your destinies become intertwined forever." Emil said. Marta gasped and started to blush.

"Emil. That's.....That's so romantic. And you wanted to share it with me? Thank you." Marta said. A tear came to her eye as she and Emil hugged. Later that night, Genis was sitting alone in the kitchen and was thinking long and hard about what Sora told him.

"A true friend. I wonder if that's how Presea....feels about me." Genis muttered. At the same time, Kairi was in her room with Marta and Colette again.

"So how'd it go? Tell us! Tell us!" Marta asked. Kairi chuckled and began telling her about their walk. When she mentioned they stopped and kissed, Marta's face became bright red.

"OH! That's....That's.....I can't say anything! See?! I knew you could tell him! I just KNEW it!" Marta exclaimed. But as she and Colette talked, Kairi looked away with a smile. In actuality, Kairi just lied to Marta, wanting not to hurt her feelings.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	20. Ch 20: Call to the Castle

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 20: Call to the Castle_**

The following day, Sora, Donald and Goofy headed back for Kuzco's Empire to try and find out what the problem was behind the keyhole not appearing. When they reached Kuzco's world, they landed down outside the castle and entered. Kuzco was inside and welcomed them.

"Hey Kuzco. How's things been?" Sora asked.

"Things have been just fines since you made your little visit. So, what brings you back?" Kuzco asked. Goofy told Kuzco that they had to find the keyhole or the Heartless would be back.

"What?! Those black icky things?! Ew! Disgusting! Me no likey Heartless. So, go on. Find this...."keyhole" thingy." Kuzco said. Sora nodded.

"But Sora, where are we gonna find the keyhole? We don't know where to even start looking." Donald said. The three friends looked at each other and sighed.

"Gawrsh, Donald's right. How are we even going to find it?" Goofy asked. Just then, Sora's Keyblade began to glow. A light stream began leading a trail out of Kuzco's throne room.

"What's that?" Donald asked. Sora shrugged but decided they should follow the trail. Following the trail that the Keyblade made, it led Sora, Donald and Goofy down to the lower level of the palace. Before them was a large door, with Kuzco's face on it. But surprisingly, there was a keyhole in one of Kuzco's teeth on the door.

"A keyhole. Hey, you don't think...." Sora muttered. Donald shrugged.

"Well, only one way to find out." Goofy said. Sora nodded and pointed his Keyblade at the lock. With a quick shot, Sora unlocked it and the door evaporated. It revealed a large cavern before them with a set of stairs.

"Just like....what happened at the coliseum." Sora said. Sora, Donald and Goofy entered the cavern and proceeded down the stairs. As they walked, torches on the wall began to light themselves, showing them the way.

"Gawrsh, could this be another ancient Keyblader temple?" Goofy said. Donald glanced back as Goofy figured the place where they found Atlas was a temple too.

"You're right. Maybe the ancient Keyblader of this world is behind the keyhole not appearing. Just hope he's friendly like Atlas." Sora said. Still descending down the staircase, they entered a room that beared similar features to the room Atlas was in. However, the statues in this room were slightly different. In the middle of the room, a Kuzcoin levitated on a pedestal.

"Maybe that's him." Donald said. Just then, Sora heard someone else coming. They looked back to see Kuzco descending the stairs.

"Wow. We actually had THIS down here? Awesome." Kuzco said. Sora asked Kuzco why he was here and Kuzco just shrugged, saying he'd like to see this keyhole too. Sora glanced at his friends and shrugged.

"Well, let's try waking up the Keyblader." Goofy said. Sora nodded and approached the coin. Kuzco noticed the coin as well and watched Sora.

"Hey. If you're going to take that Kuzcoin, you'd be better off donating it to Emperor...." Kuzco said before Sora touched it. In a flash, a giant light engulfed him and it also pulled Donald, Goofy and Kuzco in. When the light faded, they found themselves in an alternate dimension. Again, by Sora's side, Roxas appeared.

"Wow. This is kind of weird." Roxas said. Sora scratched his head in confusion. Just then, Kuzco gasped.

"Wait. Who....Who is THAT guy?" Kuzco asked. Sora and the others looked ahead and saw a tall man who had long black hair and a Keyblade at his side. It appeared like the Kuzcoin Keyblade Sora obtained. When he turned to face them, Sora was shocked. His face looked almost like Kuzco!

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Who are you? How'd you all get in here and...?" he said in a masculine version of Kuzco's voice. He stopped when he saw Kuzco.

"Say, who's this dashing fellow?" he asked. Kuzco chuckled.

"You took the words right out of my mouth." Kuzco said. Sora groaned.

"Are you a Keyblader?" Roxas asked. The man turned to Sora and Roxas, giving a nod.

"The name's Kuzcot, the empire's greatest defender. I haven't seen another Keyblader in years!" Kuzcot said. Kuzco chuckled, pointing out that Kuzcot's name sounded like him. Goofy asked him if he knew anything about the keyhole.

"Keyhole? Oh. You mean this one? Well, I guess it's my fault. When I heard Heartless were invading the worlds again, I protected the keyhole by casting a spell. It not only kept it out of the Heartless' sense, but no other Keyblader could detect it either." Kuzcot said.

"Oh. That would explain it. Don't worry. I'm a Keyblader as well. I have to seal the keyhole." Sora said. Kuzcot could tell that Sora was serious with just a glance and he snapped his fingers. Behind him, the keyhole appeared in the sky. Suddenly, Roxas gained the Kingdom Key replica.

"What the? Whoa! When did I....? Wait. Xion?" Roxas thought. Together, Sora, Roxas and Kuzcot fired triple beams of light into they keyhole and locked it. After it was locked, they returned to Kuzcot's temple and Sora was now wearing a bracelet around his wrist. It had the Kuzcoin on it.

"Is this from Kuzcot?" Sora thought. Just then, a walkie talkie in Goofy's pocket began buzzing.

"Goofy! Ya there?" a voice called. It was King Mickey. Goofy reached into his pocket and took out the walkie talkie.

"Yep. What is it your majesty?" Goofy asked.

"Welp, I just got a call from the queen. Something's going on back at the castle and I think we should investigate." Mickey said. Donald, hearing the king's words, nodded quickly.

"Don't worry your majesty. We'll come back to get you. I think we're pretty much set here. You can tell Leon we sealed the keyhole." Sora said. Mickey thanked Sora and ended the transmission. Again saying goodbye, Sora helped Kuzco out of the shrine before leaving for the Gummi Ship. Kuzco glanced back at the cave.

"Hmm. I wonder what other goodies are down there? Emperor's get first dibs after all." Kuzco said. Sora flew the ship back to Radiant Garden, where Mickey, Pete and Max were waiting outside the base.

"All right Sora. We're all set." Mickey said.

"Yeah. If the castle's in trouble, then I should probably come back too. It IS my home after all." Max said.

"Okay then. Let's go." Sora said. But just as Sora was about to go back, he felt an arm grab him.

"Hold it RIGHT there!" a voice shouted. Sora looked back and saw Seifer.

"S...Seifer? What's going on?" Sora asked. Seifer looked at Sora with an angry gaze on his face.

"Ever since I joined this team, I've hardly done squat. You are NOT going without me! Ya got it?! I'm tired of sitting around while you're getting all the fun!" Seifer exclaimed. Sora nervously stuttered as Donald and Goofy sighed.

"All....All right Seifer. You can come. Just hurry and get in." Sora said. Seifer huffed and followed behind Goofy. Just then, Sora saw Paine from afar.

"Hey.....Sora. Where are you going?" she asked.

"We have to go to the king's castle. Something's going on." Sora said.

"Oh. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to come to." Paine said. Sora shrugged and invited Paine along. Paine smirked and followed Sora aboard. With the last of them aboard, the ship took off for the castle. They passed by Kuzco's world and the coliseum before seeing Disney Castle before them.

"There it is everyone. We're home." Mickey said. Mickey took the ship down into the garage and landed it safely on the ground. Everyone stepped out to see the silly design and sounds of the garage.

"Wow. Been a LONG time since I last came here." Pete said. Paine and Seifer took a good look around.

"This is a garage? It's huge." Seifer said. Just then, on one of the pipes, Chip and Dale appeared. But with them were two mice and a fly, dressed the same way as the chipmunks. The small group spied the king and scurried down.

"You're back! Welcome your majesty!" Chip cheered.

"Hiya guys! Great to see ya!" Dale called. One of the mice told Chip and Dale that they should welcome them later when the queen wanted them.

"Oh yeah. The queen is looking for you. She's in the library." Dale said. Donald nodded.

"Okay. Let's go everyone." Mickey said. Just before going, Sora got a look at the other three with Chip and Dale.

"I don't think we met. Who are you guys?" Sora asked.

"Golly. Hi there. You must be Sora. The king told us about you in the letters he sent. It's nice to meet you. My name's Gadget." Gadget said. The other mouse chuckled.

"The name's Monterey Jack! Glad to finally meet ya Keyblader!" Monty said. The small fly tugged at Monty's moustache.

"Ehh? Oh! Ahem. This is Zipper. Me little pally wanted me to introduce him also. Heh. Sorry Zippa." Monty said. Zipper sighed and shook his head.

"Nice to meet you. See you guys around." Sora said. Waving goodbye to the small rodents, Sora and the others emerged into the castle gardens.

"Ah. Nice to be home again." Mickey said. Paine looked around before smiling. She snapped her fingers and a sudden flash of sparkles surrounded her. It transformed her into her full grown self from Final Fantasy X-2.

"Wak!" Donald squawked from shock.

"Oh. That's right. I forgot you guys could do that." Sora said. Just then, they saw someone coming into the gardens. He seemed to be a round young man, about Max's height, with ears like Pete.

"Hey. Is that...? Hey! It is! P.J!" Max called. Pete gasped.

"P.J? Me...little boy?" Pete said with tears in his eyes. Sure enough, the person was P.J., Pete's son.

"Hey Max! The queen told me you were coming and.....whuh? Dad?!" P.J. gasped. Pete started to cry as he embraced his son.

"P.J! My little boy! Ha ha! How've ya been son?!" Pete exclaimed. P.J. didn't know what to say as he looked back at the king.

"Uhh...we'll explain later." Mickey said. Pete looked around, hoping to see Pistol too.

"Hey. Where's your sister?" Pete asked.

"Oh. You mean Pistol? I think she's at the library with the queen. You guys better hurry." P.J said. Sora and the others nodded.

"All right. Let's get moving." Sora said. Together, the group headed off for the castle.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	21. Ch 21: Monochrome Dreams

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 21: Monochrome Dreams_**

Continuing onto the library, Mickey and Donald got a good look around the castle. Things were going orderly and the peace was well kept. Pete sighed as they walked down the hall towards the library.

"Never thought I'd see these walls again." he thought. P.J. looked up at his worried father's face.

"Hey dad? You okay? You seem kind of out of it." P.J. said. Pete stuttered and rattled his head.

"Uhh...yeah son. I'm.....er....I'm fine! Really!" Pete boasted. P.J. turned to Max and they both sighed. Donald watched the brooms walk past with buckets in their arms.

"Did the queen say anything about what was going on, your majesty?" Donald asked. Mickey thought for a moment.

"Hmm. Well Donald, I don't think she was quite specific. I'm sure we'll get all the details once we see her." Mickey said. As they passed by, they heard what sounded like a classroom going on.

"Hey, your majesty, what's that sound? It sounds like a classroom." Sora asked. Mickey looked back and chuckled.

"Welp, that's actually our new school. It was added to the castle not too long ago. Would you like to drop by and visit? I suppose we have time." Mickey said. Sora glanced at his friends, getting a shrug as their response.

"Sure. I think that would be nice." Sora said. Mickey nodded and led the group towards the new classroom. When they arrived, they saw four small children at their desks. It was Huey, Dewey, Louie and Pistol, P.J's sister.

"Hey. It's Pistol. But I thought she was at the library." P.J. said. Max shrugged, figuring now must've been her class time. Just then, Sora saw someone writing at the board with a book in her hand. When Sora saw her face, he saw she wore a long orange robe and she had beautiful silver hair.

"Hello there. Are these friends of yours your highness?" she asked. Mickey nodded, introducing Sora and the others to her.

"Hello Sora. My name is Raine Sage. I'm the teacher here at the castle. It seems you just came in on one of my classes." Raine said. Suddenly, something seemed to hit Goofy, like he remembered something.

"Oh! Hey guys. Do ya think Raine might have something to do with Genis?" Goofy asked. Sora and Donald looked on confused.

"Hmm. You DO have a point Goofy. I mean, Raine has the same last name as Genis. Maybe she's his sister that he mentioned." Sora said. Just then, Raine gasped.

"Did...Did you say "Genis"? That's....my little brother's name. How do you know Genis?" Raine asked. Donald told her that he was at Radiant Garden, helping them with the Heartless. Raine sighed.

"Thank goodness. He's all right." Raine said. Deciding that she should end class early, she joined Sora in the hallway and asked to know what happened with Genis.

"Well, you see...." Sora said. Raine listened to every word, amazed to hear Emil, Marta and Colette were found too.

"Oh. I see. So, they're all right as well. That's good. It's true that I'm Genis' sister. I was also his teacher, back on our world. However, when our world was attacked, I got separated from them. I worried that I'd never see them again. But for you to arrive and tell me this, it makes me happy." Raine said. Sora crossed his arms.

"Well, you're welcome to join us Raine. I'm sure Genis would like to see his sister again." Sora said. Raine nodded.

"All right. I guess I'll tag along for the time being. But, what about your meeting with the queen?" Raine asked. Mickey told Raine that they sent Seifer and Paine to wait for them.

"We probably should head over there majesty. Whatever the queen has to say must be important." Donald said. Mickey thought for a moment and nodded. With Raine at their side, Sora and Mickey returned to the library. Mickey found something as a shock. Pluto, his best friend and companion, was in his bed quivering and shuddering.

"Pluto? Hey Pluto! You okay pal?" Mickey asked, petting the dog's head. The ill dog looked up at his master and licked Mickey's face. Queen Minnie and Daisy stepped in after Paine shut the door.

"Thank you all for coming." Minnie said. Daisy glanced at Pete, still convinced that his prescence meant bad news.

"What's going on your majesty? Is something wrong?" Sora asked. Minnie nodded and approached the desk.

"Lately, we've been getting a lot of strange energy readings and spikes of darkness have been appearing inside the castle." Minnie said. Daisy went to the desk, wearing gloves, and picked up a black spike. It seemed to be radiating dark energy.

"Whoa! Now that's scary." Pete said. Minnie nodded.

"Not to mention poor Pluto has been acting ill this whole time. He hasn't eaten, slept or even had a quiet drink of water without something acting up." Minnie said. Pluto whined softly, nuzzling himself in his bed.

"What should we do? This sounds like Heartless." Sora said.

"But wait. You said that this "Cornerstone of Light" thing protected this castle from Heartless. So, how did THIS get here?" Seifer asked, pointing at the spike.

"Maybe someone in here is actually a Heartless. It could be letting the darkness seep into the castle. But....where?" Paine said. Everyone thought for a moment before Mickey asked Minnie how the core was doing.

"The core's been fine. It's these strange dark spikes that have us worried." Daisy said. Mickey still believed all of this had to relate to the core. Minnie agreed with Mickey, believing there was no other logical reason. So together, the group entered the Audience Chamber. But what shocked them more was the room was filled with giant, pitch black spikes!

"Oh no! This wasn't here before!" Minnie gasped. Raine was in complete shock.

"Such....power. What darkness could create these?" Raine muttered. The spikes punctured the floors and walls. Some even reached as high as the roof. Luckily, there weren't many blocking the way to the throne and they successfully managed to enter the Hall of the Cornerstone, shocked still to find more dark spikes.

"Oh my. This is terrible." Daisy said. Sora and the others looked around.

"Man. This is...This is kind of scary." Seifer said. As they approached the Cornerstone, a magical burst appeared before them. It was Yen Sid.

"Master Yen Sid!" Donald and Mickey exclaimed. The two bowed before Yen Sid.

"It is all right. I sensed the darkness growing inside the castle and I wanted to have a see for myself." Yen Sid said. He turned to the Cornerstone, studying it's strange power flow.

"What is it Yen Sid?" Minnie asked.

"This is not good. There indeed is some dark force at work here. But as to where....I am not sure. Perhaps the past knows the truth." Yen Sid said. Mickey scratched his head, wondering what his teacher meant. But to Sora, Donald and Goofy, it seemed that Yen Sid was referring to Timeless River.

"You think something is messing up the past of the castle? If that's the case, we'll go back and fix it." Sora said. Yen Sid turned to Sora with a slight chuckle.

"I thought you would say that Sora. A true Keyblader at heart and a hero to the end. Very well." Yen Sid said. With a wave of his hand and a twist of his wrist, the doorway appeared which led to Timeless River.

"I am sure Merlin has spoken to you before about this special door. In it lies a very special world. A world that has direct links to ours. If what you are saying is true, then we must examine what is going on in the castle's history." Yen Sid said. Sora nodded.

"Okay. Me, Donald and Goofy will take a good look at it. Maybe the rest of you guys should stay here, in case Heartless show up." Sora said. Seifer huffed.

"Fine. I try to come along for some excitement and I get stuck on guard duty?" Seifer asked. Sora sighed.

"Well, do you WANT to come or what Seifer?" Sora asked. Seifer huffed.

"Yeah. Maybe I would." Seifer said. Donald and Goofy glanced at each other, quietly snickering. Pete also volunteered to come along as well. But Daisy automatically rejected the idea. She still believed that Pete must be behind this.

"Excuse me Daisy, but Pete has been helping us. How could he cause all this if he just arrived here today?" Donald asked. Daisy was silent.

"Good point. All right then. But don't you DARE mess anything up Pete!" Daisy said. Pete nervously chuckled and promised, crossing his heart and everything. So with Seifer and Pete, Sora opened the door and began to step through. Just as soon as they left, they heard a growling sound from upstairs.

"What's that?" Paine said. They all looked up and saw Heartless appearing. First to appear were Bolt Towers, followed by Shadow and Rabid Dogs.

"Heartless!" Minnie gasped. Daisy ducked behind Paine as she drew her blade.

"Well, guess we have a job as well. Guard this door." Paine said. Mickey drew his blade, ready to fight.

"Wait! Mickey! Sora might need your help more than we do. We'll hold them off for as long as we can. Go into the past and help Sora!" Minnie said. Mickey glanced at Yen Sid, agreeing to the queen's words.

"Okay! But keep this." Mickey said. He gave her a walkie talkie before darting into the door. As it shut, the Heartless approached. Meanwhile, on the other side, the door began to rattle and give off jingling sounds. It spit up Sora and friends, along with Mickey.

"Ouf! Ouch!" Pete groaned. Sora groaned and rattled his head.

"Ugh. What...What just happened?" Seifer groaned. Suddenly, he gasped. He saw he transformed into a black and white character from the 1920's!

"What's going on here?! I'm messed up!" Seifer exclaimed.

"Don't worry. You're fine. This is what the past of the castle is like. We're all the same. So don't worry." Sora said. Just then, someone walked by with a serious face. But he came to a screeching stop when he saw Sora. It was Pete from the past.

"Hey! It's you!" he called. But suddenly, he saw his future self.

"You?! I thought I told you to stay out!" Past Pete exclaimed. Pete gulped, unsure what to say.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on there big guy! He's on our side this time! We promise!" Sora shouted. Mickey looked around.

"Wow. I almost forgot how our castle grounds appeared to be." Mickey said. But just then, Sora saw something out of the corner of his eye. It almost looked like a black shadow replica of the past Pete. But he wasn't sure what to believe.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	22. Ch 22: The Darkness Of A Heart

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 22: The Darkness of A Heart_**

Even with his uneasy feeling about being around the "punk" Pete from last time, Past Pete took the time to catch up with Sora and the others. Some of the things he said actually surprised them. According to him, people have been affected by crimes and they're all pointing the blaim on him.

"You? Nah. Couldn't be. You're a nice guy to do anything like that." Sora said. Donald nodded.

"A little grumpy, but not THAT bad." Donald said. Mickey turned to Pete with a snicker, catching the curiosity of Past Pete.

"Yeah! Even I know I didn't do that stuff! But folks are saying they're seeing a shadow of a guy who looks like me! I don't believe it!" Past Pete exclaimed. Goofy and Donald nodded.

"What about your steamboat?" Goofy asked. The past Pete said, with a relief in his voice, that his steamboat has been unharmed since Sora rescued it. But as they talked, the black shadow of Pete Sora saw was spying on them. Suddenly, behind a bush, it melted down and turned into a black figure. It was the Phantom Blot.

"Well, well, it looks as if that fat fool Pete is trying to convince the local townfolk that he's not responsible for the crimes. Good luck. You'll DEFINITELY need it." the Blot said before disappearing into the bush. After the Blot left, Sora and his friends decided there was only one thing to do.

"If we're going to fix whatever is wrong at the castle, I'm sure that we'll be able to from here." Sora said. The others nodded.

"I guess that means we should look into the crimes around town. See if anyone actually SAW the real Pete when the crimes were commited." Mickey said.

"But what if this Pete actually is the crook?" Seifer asked. Pete huffed.

"Now look here! I might not be bright! But even I would've remembered causing all these problems back when I was a steamboat captain!" Pete exclaimed.

"Right! And you're our definite proof of that Pete. So come on. I say we should look into this." Mickey said. The others nodded and headed off. Back at the castle, the Heartless were still coming. Paine just struck down a Bolt Tower before Rabid Dogs jumped her from behind. Yen Sid fired blasts of magic around him and Minnie.

"Where are these things coming from?!" Raine exclaimed. Max was forcing a Rabid Dog away with his shield before jumping out of a Bolt Tower's attack.

"There's too many of them!" Minnie gasped. But Yen Sid wasn't ready to give up. Focusing as much magic into him as possible, he created a sphere of magical energy in his hands and let off a giant explosion of energy. It completely eradicated the Heartless, but it drained most of his magic.

"Whoa. Phew. That was close." Paine said. But just then, they heard a loud, menacing growl as something was seen coming slowly down the stairs.

"P....Pluto?" Minnie shuddered. Daisy gulped, cowering behind Raine. All that could be seen was a giant, purple claw with sharp fangs and glowing red eyes peering at the queen in the darkness.

"Okay. What....is.....THAT?" Max asked. PJ just shook his head in fear.

"Sora....hurry." Yen Sid said. In Timeless River, Sora was getting reports from all of the other townsfolk in town, compiling it together. From the reports he heard, it sounded like Pete was being charged for damage to public property, vandalism to the town and even pollution.

"No WAY could this be Pete." Sora thought. Later on, Sora and his friends met again by the Cornerstone.

"Gawrsh. Everyone is saying that they saw Pete doing all this. But that can't be." Goofy said. Donald nodded, saying the people he spoke with didn't physically see Pete's face when they saw the shadow.

"Then someone must be going around disguised as me!" Pete shouted. Past Pete agreed, believing that was the only answer he could think of. Just then, they could hear a faint sound that sounded like someone trying to get their attention. They looked back and saw the past Mickey.

"What the? Is that.....ME?" Mickey gasped.

"Majesty! It's....It's you!" Donald exclaimed.

"You mean it's the PAST king!" Goofy corrected. Past Mickey feverishly pointed to behind Pete. They all looked back and saw the Cornerstone was gone!

"What the?! The Cornerstone's gone! Again!" Sora gasped. Seifer groaned.

"Darn it! Whoever is impersinating Pete must've grabbed it when we weren't looking." Seifer said. Goofy exclaimed that unless they got the Cornerstone back, the castle would surely be flooded by the darkness. Pete and Seifer gasped.

"Well, no WAY am I gonna let some punk ruin my past as well as take over that castle! Hey! Little squirt! Which way did he go?!" Pete called out to Past Mickey. The old Mickey pointed towards out of town, in the direction of a set of tire tracks.

"Look! Tire tracks. That must mean our mystery culprit rode off this way. Let's go." Mickey said. The group began following after the tracks, with Past Mickey tailing from behind. Flashing back to Disney Castle, Paine was shielding herself and Raine with her sword. A giant dog's paw could be seen clawing at Paine's blade.

"Bad.....Bad boy! Back off!" Paine exclaimed. The giant creature leaped back and growled, eyeing the two girls. Upon a full look, it looked like a colossal sized Pluto with red eyes and spiky purple fur! His collar was adorned with pointed spikes and a Heartless emblem dog tag.

"No.....Pluto....." Minnie muttered. The giant Pluto clone roared and pounced as the scene changed back to Timeless River. Before Sora and the others was a large, canister shaped lair overseeing a cliff. Lightning flashed as Mickey looked at a nearby sign.

"Aha! I KNEW it! This is the Phantom Blot's lair! I should've known that sneak was behind this somehow!" Mickey shouted. Inside his lair, the Blot was seeing eyeing the Cornerstone of Light.

"Ah. The beautiful Cornerstone of Light. What a marvelous gem you are." Blot said. At his side was the goon who helped him, the Big Bad Wolf.

"So, where's that "reward" you promised for me helping you? Lugging this giant thing wasn't exactly easy." Wolf said. The Blot snapped his fingers as money dropped down from above. Suddenly, the door to the Blot's lair was kicked open and there stood Sora, Mickey and the others.

"Phantom Blot! I should've known!" Mickey exclaimed. The Blot laughed.

"Mickey Mouse! How nice to see you...in double?! Uhh.....never mind that. You're too late! Now that I have the Cornerstone of Light, I'm afraid that you'll have to pay a little....."fine" to get it back." he said. Mickey huffed and drew his Keyblade.

"What the? Wow. That's new." Blot said. Mickey and Sora both used Ragnarok and knocked the Wolf unconscious. The Blot was able to duck out of the way.

"Surrender the Cornerstone Phantom Blot!" Mickey exclaimed.

"Yeah! And stop making folks believe I'm a crook!" Past and Future Pete exclaimed. Both Pete's gasped and glared at each other as the Phantom Blot laughed.

"Why not? You look nice with a criminal record hanging over your head. Well, if you won't pay my fine, I suppose I'll depart now." he said. With a wave of his hand, another door appeared and dropped onto the Wolf. It was the other door, the door Pete used to enter Timeless River before!

"What the?! But that's...!" Sora exclaimed. The Phantom Blot laughed and prepared to step through as he was taking the Cornerstone with him. But out of nowhere, Past Mickey leaped down from above and grabbed the Blot's head. He yelled and tried frantically to throw off the past Mickey. Past Pete took the time to rush over and take the Cornerstone, carrying it over his head.

"Way to go Pete!" Sora called.

"Take that thing back to where it belongs! Hurry!" Seifer exclaimed. Past Pete huffed, telling him that he didn't have to tell him what to do. Furious at the turns of events, Phantom Blot threw Past Mickey off and hurried through the door.

"You'll NEVER catch me mouse!" Blot cried out. But just as he crossed through the door, there was a loud yell as a giant crashing sound was heard. Appearing from the doorway was Raine's head.

"Sora! Are you all right?" Raine asked. She seemed a bit shocked by Sora's cartoonish appearance at first.

"Raine? What's going on? Wait. Never mind. That guy! You have to catch him!" Sora exclaimed. Raine looked back at the unconscious Phantom Blot.

"He's not the problem. I think we discovered what the REAL issue is facing the castle. Hurry and come look." Raine said. Just then, Mickey heard Minnie's scream.

"Minnie! Hold on Minnie!" Mickey cried. Everyone dashed back through the door, returning to normal, and were left shocked out of their minds. They saw the giant purple Pluto snarling and growling at them.

"Pl.....Pl.....Pluto?!" Mickey exclaimed. Minnie shuddered, terrified by the giant dog's red eyes.

"I'm afraid so your majesty. This IS indeed Pluto. You told me that you and Pluto escape Organization XIII's stronghold by using a Corridor of Darkness, correct? Well, it would appear that Pluto has used them more than you have. And that darkness...has tampered with his innocent heart." Yen Sid said. Raine added that Pluto was now coughing up Heartless, causing their looming prescence to develop the black spikes all around the castle.

"No..." Donald said.

"Not.....Pluto...." Goofy said. Mickey couldn't believe it, seeing his good friend Pluto in this condition. Pluto growled, giving off black haze from inbetween his teeth. Mickey's fist tightened as his Keyblade appeared.

"Then....if that's really my pal, then I've got to save him!" Mickey cried. Sora nodded, drawing his Keyblade as well. Donald, Goofy, Pete and Seifer also drew their weapons.

"Bring it on mutt! We'll have you heeling in no time!" Seifer exclaimed. Pluto snarled and lunged for them. Though they escaped in time, Pluto completely smashed the door leading to Timeless River. Chip and the others came scurrying in, stopping at the sight of Pluto.

"Crikey! If that's the king's dog, then we must've found what's been causing all the problems around here!" Monty exclaimed. Chip and Dale seemed rather terrified. They remained frozen before Chip nudged Dale's arm.

"Come on Dale! We've gotta help!" Chip called. Pluto snarled and growled, letting off a loud roar. He then hacked up more Rabid Dog Heartless.

"Come on guys! We've got a dog to tame!" Sora said. Together, Sora and Mickey led the attack against Pluto. They used combo attacks to Pluto's face, but the giant dog's roar blew them back. Seifer was next and struck Pluto hard with a swing of his blade. However, this wasn't for long as Pluto swatted Seifer away.

"Pluto! Sit!" Donald squawked. He used Thunder against Pluto and the large dog howled. Goofy threw his shield at Pluto's face and kept striking at the dog's nose. Max and PJ made charging attacks but Pluto spun around fast and knocked them down.

"No! P.J! Why you mangy, flea bitten mutt!" Pete growled. He came charging at Pluto and grabbed the dog's collar. He forcefully yanked at the dog tag, causing Pluto to yelp and gasp for breath. Pete started holding on as Pluto forcefully swung his head around.

"Sora! I don't think we can do much damage. Pluto must be completely consumed by darkness. I want to save him but...I don't want to hurt him." Mickey said. Yen Sid, though still a bit weary from his previous attack, told Mickey that there might be a way to do that.

"Really? How?" Sora asked.

"If you combine the light of your blades, then....the darkness should be forced out....of Pluto's heart." Yen Sid said. Sora and Mickey glanced at each other.

"All right Sora. If you wanna try it, I'm with ya." Mickey said. Sora nodded.

"Okay. Let's do this." Sora said. Together, Sora and Mickey stood together as they posed like Sora did preparing to seal a Keyhole. As their light energy built, Seifer and the others worked to keep Pluto back. The chipmunks and friends leaped onto Pluto's back, trying to subdue the dog by yanking at it's collar.

"Keep Pluto far from the king and Sora if you can! We can't let him near them!" Raine called. She fired a powerful earth spell, pelting Pluto with stones as Seifer unleashed a powerful strike to his leg. The giant dog growled and swatted Raine and Seifer away, before Paine came and attacked Pluto head on. Paine's attacks caused Pluto to throw off Chip and the others.

"Pluto! Bad boy!" Max called. Pete, still clinging to Pluto's dog tag, finally came flying off and knocked down Max and PJ. With a loud roar, Pluto came charging for Sora and Mickey. But they were ready. The two jumped back, avoiding Pluto's lunging pounce and fired twin beams of light at Pluto's heart.

"Pluto!" Mickey called. The beams of light pierced into Pluto's heart, forcing the darkness out. With a sudden burst of light, the real Pluto emerged and the Heartless Pluto began wobbling around. Pluto shook his head and looked around.

"Pluto!" Mickey called. Pluto saw his master and panted happily, with an enthusiastic bark, as he dashed to Mickey's side.

"Pluto! Aww, I'm glad to have you back buddy!" Mickey chuckled. Seeing the Heartless was now weak enough, Sora took his Keyblade and let off one final attack to it's face. The final strike caused the Pluto Heartless to howl and vanish away. Still cowering from giant Pluto, Daisy emerged from behind the Cornerstone.

"Huh? Is it...Is it over?" Daisy asked. Even though she knew the answer to her question, the sight of Mickey and Pluto hugging, as well as the spikes vanishing, made it pretty obvious. With the spikes gone and Pluto back to normal, everyone gathered together in the Audience Chamber.

"Pluto. How are ya? You okay?" Sora asked. Pluto barked and licked Sora's face, showing a full recovery.

"I guess that's a "yes" in Pluto." Mickey chuckled. Seifer returned, checking on Past Pete thanks to Yen Sid's magic. He said that the Cornerstone successfully returned to the castle grounds. Mickey sighed, relieved that things were normal again. However, they now had to figure out what to do with the captured Phantom Blot.

"Don't worry Mickey. We know what to do with him." Minnie said. Leading the tied up Phantom by a rope, Minnie escorted the Blot to the brooms, carting him off afterwards.

"Phew. Things should calm down now." Raine said. PJ sighed.

"PJ? What's wrong?" Max asked.

"Oh Max, we were totally worthless back there." PJ said. Goofy chuckled and patted the boy's backs.

"Don't say that PJ. You both were very brave to challenge a great obstacle like that. I'm proud of ya." Goofy said. Max chuckled.

"Thanks dad." Max said. Just then, a light glowed around Pluto's collar. It fired up, revealing the Keyhole to Sora. Sora drew his blade and with a quick swing of his Keyblade, the beam of light locked the Keyhole once more.

"Time to go?" Seifer asked. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. We probably should head back to Radiant Garden now." Sora said. Raine asked if they were returning to Radiant Garden soon. She was still concerned a bit about Genis.

"Of course Raine. We haven't forgotten that. Come on. The ship's in the garage." Sora said. Raine sighed as Minnie thanked Sora for everything.

"No problem your highness. If anything happens, give us a call. Okay?" Sora asked. Minnie nodded.

"So, I'll be seeing ya later Max? I think I have some training to catch up on." PJ said. Max nodded and shook his friend's hand.

"Okay. Hope to see you real soon." Max said. As the group returned to the Gummi Ship, they brought along some new faces. They were Pluto and Chip and Dale's group, saying that they'd be honored to help Sora more than staying at the castle.

"All right then. Let's go." Mickey said. Pluto yawned and lied down on the floor, falling asleep as the ship began taking off. Another new surpirse was Sora found the Gummi Ship he, Donald and Goofy traveled in, taking it with them. They flew peacefully back to Radiant Garden, with Paine transforming back to normal along the way, surprising Cid by the appearance of another Gummi Ship.

"So, how did the adventure to the castle go?" Cid asked. Sora chuckled, saying it was the same old. Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard from the computer room. They rushed back to see Ludwig coughing and swatting away smoke. The blast damaged Cid's computer.

"Gah! You bungling old coot! Look what you did!" Cid exclaimed. Ludwig coughed.

"Hoo boy. That did NOT go as I hoped. Oh well." Ludwig said. Cid turned his gaze to Sora and Mickey.

"Please....GET RID of him!" Cid sneered. Mickey nervously chuckled, asking if the professor could continue his experiments back at their base.

"Okey dokey Mickey, if you are sure. Frankly, I think Cid and I have grown on each other." Ludwig said, seeing a furious Cid staring at him. Raine asked if this was normal and Mickey nodded. Ludwig followed them back to the team base, seeing Genis at the table with Kairi.

"Hey! Sora! You're back." Kairi said. Genis gasped, seeing Raine's face behind Goofy.

"R...Raine?!" Genis gasped. Raine smiled, tears coming to her eyes. She went over and hugged Genis.

"Genis. It's....It's....I'm so happy you're all right." Raine said. Genis chuckled and hugged her.

"Nice to see you too sis." Genis said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	23. Ch 23: A Girls Only Evening

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 23: A Girls Only Evening_**

Following Sora's adventure at Disney Castle, the group has taken the next two days to relax and rest up after their previous adventures. Sora sat outside, reading over the journal Jiminy had wrote down.

"Wow Jiminy. This is really something. You sure know how to keep track of our adventures." Sora said. The small cricket chuckled upon Sora's shoulder. He had come with them after they left Disney Castle.

"Well Sora, it was helpful enough that you and Goofy told me about what has been going on." Jiminy said. Inside, Raine and Genis sat together and watched the town from the windows.

"It sure is a beautiful town, isn't it?" Genis asked.

"Yes. It's places like these where you really can feel at peace with yourself." Raine said "It almost reminds me a lot about Iselia." Raine said. Genis looked away with a sad expression on his face.

"What's the matter Genis?" Raine asked.

"Our home......Raine? Do you think it's still there?" Genis asked. Raine looked away.

"I can't really say for sure Genis. But I do know that if it is or isn't, our friends must be out there somewhere as well.....looking for us." Raine said. Genis nodded, knowing they probably would see Lloyd soon too. Just then, Marta came into the room with Kairi and Lilo.

"Hey guys." Kairi said. The two looked back and waved. Genis noticed that Kairi held something in her arm.

"Uhh...Kairi? What are those?" he asked. Lilo and Marta glanced at each other with a chuckle.

"Well, guess what YOU'VE been invited to Raine?" Marta said with glee. She took a paper from Kairi and handed it to Raine. She unfolded it to see that it was an invitation to a girls only evening with Kairi, Marta and their friends. Genis tried to take a glance at it.

"Hmm. A girls evening, huh? Well, I haven't been invited to one of those before. Who else is coming?" Raine asked as Genis took the paper from her.

"Well, let's see. There's a chance that Yuffie, Aerith, Rinoa and maybe Colette will join us. It'll be just us girls. Marta thought of the idea." Lilo said. Marta giggled as Genis sighed.

"And what's the sigh for?" Marta asked.

"Girls nights are so boring. What the heck are WE supposed to do? Besides, where are you guys having it anyway?" Genis asked. Kairi explained that they would be checking out around town and just have fun being with each other.

"Well, I'd be happy to join you this evening." Raine said. Genis groaned and walked off.

"That's great! Come on! Let's go tell the others!" Marta cheered. Genis joined Sora outside as he was going to see Riku downtown.

"They're doing what? A girls evening?" Sora asked. Genis sighed and nodded.

"It's just so stupid. I mean, sure, if Presea was here, maybe I'd be different." Genis said. Sora chuckled as they saw Riku checking out a message board.

"Hey Riku. What's up?" Sora asked. Riku called Sora and Genis over, pointing to a poster on the board. It had a picture of someone's drawing of a man. It said "Peeping Tom Bandit Loose" on the bottom.

"A peeping tom bandit?" Genis asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, there's some weird guy going around town and invading the privacy of most of the women in town. No one's been able to get a good definition about who he is or what he looks like." Riku said. Suddenly, Sora and Genis gasped.

"Oh no! My sister and Marta! They're going on that girls only evening thing tonight! What if the bandit gets them?!" Genis gasped.

"And Kairi's with them you said. This can't be good." Sora said. Riku asked what Sora meant and he quickly told them.

"You're right. If our friends are getting together this evening, no doubt will that bandit show up. I really don't want anyone, especially Kairi, to be picked on by some bandit. We better think of something to stop this as soon as we can." Riku said.

"Yeah. But what?" Sora said. Both Sora and Riku paused for thought before suddenly having an idea hit them the moment they looked at Genis.

"Uhhh....what?" Genis asked nervously. Within the hour, Genis had been disguised as a young girl. However, his disguise was kind of crude and poorly done.

"This....is.....SO WRONG!" Genis muttered. He turned to Sora and Riku with an angry glare.

"Sorry Genis, but it would be smart for one of us to stay with the girls and watch them. If me or Riku tried, there's a chance that Kairi would recognize us. And I doubt Donald or Goofy would be any better." Sora said. Genis groaned and eyed his face in a mirror. His silver hair was put into two pig tails and he had light blue eye liner around his eyes.

"But what if my own sister sees me like this?! What am I supposed to do about that? Huh?!" Genis exclaimed.

"Well, considering how ridiculous you look, there might be a chance that she won't." Riku said. Genis groaned and slapped his face.

"Fine. But you two OWE me one! BOTH of you do! You got it?! If I get caught, I'm blaiming you!" Genis growled. Sora and Riku nervously chuckled and looked away. That evening, as Raine and the others left the base, Sora, Riku and Genis watched from a nearby bush.

"Okay Genis. Time to put our plan to work. You remember what to do?" Riku asked. Genis groaned softly.

"Yeah. Okay. But I think this skirt is riding up on me." Genis groaned. He emerged from the bush and approached the girls as they stepped out. He cleared his throat and began speaking in a higher pitched voice.

"Uhh...hello there. My name....is......err....." Genis said, looking back at Sora and Riku. He had to come up with a name that sounded like a girl and fast.

"Oh! My name's Genette. And I heard about your girls evening tonight. I was wondering if I....I mean....if I could join you?" Genis asked. Marta, Colette and Lilo glanced at each other and shrugged, with Raine and Kairi watched Genis curiously.

"Sure. We'd be happy to have you Genette. Come on." Marta said. As the girls head on, Genis took a quick sigh and followed from behind. Previously, Sora told Genis to give off a signal of some kind if he saw the bandit. Riku and Sora emerged from the bushes.

"Okay Riku. Let's go. Time to find us a bandit." Sora said. Riku nodded and followed him. In town that evening, a man wearing a red vest and long white pants. He also had long red hair. He eyed Kairi's group from afar.

"My my. What a lovely group of ladies we have here. And.....hah?!" the man gasped. He gasped the moment he saw Raine and "Genette".

"Raine?! Genis?!" the man gasped. The girls thought they heard him before he ducked behind a garbage can.

"What was that?" Colette asked.

"Maybe a cat or something?" Lilo said. Marta shrugged and told the others that they still had to get Yuffie and the others. The girls walked off, leaving the man free to peek from the trash cans. But just as he felt safe, he felt someone's eyes glaring at him. Sensing danger, he turuned around and saw Tifa Lockhart, dressed in her Advent Children outfit, staring at him!

"So HERE you are....peeping tom bandit." Tifa said. The man gasped and Tifa cracked her knuckles.

"Oh no! Not HER again!" the man exclaimed. He began to flee as Tifa chased him. Meanwhile, Kairi's group had picked up Yuna, Rikku, Yuffie, Aerith and Rinoa. Paine skipped out since she felt like she didn't do stuff like this.

"Sorry Paine's such a stick in the mud. But come on. Let's have some fun ladies!" Rikku cheered. After that, the girls and Genis went about everywhere around town. They went window shopping in stores, had their nails done and even had their hair done. Genis felt really uneasy about everything they were doing.

"Scratch what I said before. Sora and Riku owe me....BIG TIME!" Genis thought as his hair was being cut. After having their hair done, the girls all sat outside at a local restaurant and had dinner together.

"It's nice to have Kronk as our chef, but nothing beats eating out once in a while." Marta said. Kairi agreed, saying she never had this many girls as her friends before. Colette and the others laughed with Genis fake laughing. From afar, Sora and Riku continued to look out for the bandit.

"Say Kairi, tell us. Did you REALLY tell Sora you liked him before? Or were you lying to not hurt my feelings?" Marta asked. Kairi gasped and gulped.

"Oh. That again. Well, actually....." Kairi shuddered as the others looked on.

"Marta, such a thing shouldn't be said so straight forward like that. You're making Kairi feel uncomfortable." Raine said. Marta gasped.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything." Marta said. Kairi chuckled and shook her head.

"No. It's okay. Actually, I did lie. I didn't want to make you feel like your efforts went to waste. But....maybe I don't have to tell Sora I like him. Maybe....we both already know we love each other." Kairi said. She felt her heart as Colette watched, thinking about her friend Lloyd.

"Lloyd. Wherever you are, I know in my heart that you love me too. I love you Lloyd." Colette thought.

"That's so sweet. You and Sora are such good friends. I know it." Aerith said. Yuna nodded.

"Yeah. To think he really sacrificed himself to become a Heartless. Now that's a real sign of a close friendship." Yuffie added. Kairi nodded, blushing a bit. All this talk of love started making Genis feel uncomfortable. He kept thinking about Presea the whole time.

"P....Presea...." Genis muttered before Raine looked at him. Genis froze up, unable to say anything.

"Uhhhh....yes? Can I help you.....ma'am?" Genis stuttered. Raine crossed her arms before stepping on Genis' foot. Genis yelped and bit his lower lip, trying to hold back his yell.

"Raine? What is it?" Rinoa asked. Raine continued to add pressure to Genis' foot, waiting for him to yell. Unable to hold it back anymore, with tears swelling in his eyes, let off a loud cry of pain in his own voice. Sora and Riku heard him.

"Genis! That must be the signal!" Sora exclaimed. Riku nodded and joined Sora in dashing towards Genis. Meanwhile, Genis hopped around while clutching his foot.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! OW!" Genis yelled, hopping around on one foot. The others asked Raine what she did that for and Raine told them to watch. Suddenly, Genis didn't watch where he was going and collided into a waiter. He was carrying a pitcher of water, which flew right out of his hands and dropped on Genis, splashing his whole face with water. Just then, Sora and Riku arrived with Keyblades in hand.

"Genis! What is it?! Is he here?!" Riku called. Everyone gasped and looked at Genis as the make up he wore dripped down his face.

"Genis?! What's HE doing here?!" Marta exclaimed. Lilo couldn't believe it and neither could Colette.

"Genis? Raine's little brother?" Yuna asked. Raine approached the exposed Genis and grabbed him by the ear, demanding an explanation.

"I'm sorry Raine! It....It....It was THEIR idea!" Genis exclaimed, pointing at Sora and Riku. Kairi gasped.

"Kairi! It's not what you think it is. There's a bandit on the loose and we were worried he might've come after you. So we had Genis stay with you and watch out for any sign of him." Sora said. The other girls all stopped and looked at Genis, telling them it was the truth. Suddenly, a nearby bush rustled.

"What was that?!" Marta gasped.

"The....bandit?!" Lilo shuddered. Sora and Riku turned towards the sound and saw a figure dash across from bush to bush. He continued to watch.

"Finally. Now that I ditched that psycho nut, back to what I was doing before...." he said. He quickly came out but was met with a direct strike to the face by Kairi's Keyblade.

"Agh! It's the bandit!" Kairi exclaimed. Most of the girls yelled and backed off as the bandit fell to the ground. However, Genis and Raine could quickly identify him.

"That's not a bandit. It's.....Zelos?" Raine said. True to Raine's words, it was indeed Zelos Wilder. He groaned and clutched his face.

"Ouch! Oh man! Ooh! I think I broke my nose." Zelos groaned. Suddenly, Tifa appeared from nowhere and grabbed Zelos' arms.

"And that's not all you're going to have broken after I get back at you for peeping at me!" Tifa shouted. Zelos cried in pain, forced to the ground.

"Aw come on! It wasn't like that! It was an accident! I swear it was!" Zelos shouted. Raine and Genis watched rather annoyed as Zelos begged for help. Later that night, Raine visited Genis in his bedroom before the moon began to rise.

"Raine? Again....I am SO sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to..." Genis said. But Raine patted his head.

"It's all right Genis. I know that what you did was very thoughtful and you, Sora and Riku were only looking out for our safety." Raine said. Genis smiled.

"So, I'm not in trouble then?" Genis asked. Raine chuckled.

"You will be if I catch you wearing what you wore tonight again. As a girl, I'm afraid your outfit didn't quite suit you....Genette." Raine said. Genis and Raine began to chuckle as Zelos groaned in the next room. He had agreed to join Sora's group in order to save himself from being broken apart by Tifa.

"Man...all I try to do is have fun and THIS happens...." Zelos groaned. From the next door room, Genis banged on the wall.

"Good night Zelos....oh. I mean the Peeping Tom Bandit." Genis chuckled. Zelos groaned.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	24. Ch 24: Bolting to the Rescue

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 24: Bolting to the Rescue_**

As Sora and the others were still in Radiant Garden, preparing themselves for future battles, another crisis was happening on another world. In a television studio far from Radiant Garden, a small white dog was speeding down the halls.

"Hold on Penny! I'm coming!" the dog exclaimed. But to everyone else, he just sounded like a dog barking. He continued to weave and dodge oncoming people, stopping when he saw a truck leaving with a canister on it. The canister had the symbol of a green eye.

"Penny!" the dog cried. He came charging towards the window and leaped at it, only to ram directly into it and fall back into a box below. The dog remained unconscious as the box was being sealed up. When the dog awoke, he burst free from the box and dashed out. The only problem was that he wasn't in the studio anymore. He was now in a large, bustling city.

"What the? Where....Where am I?" the dog said. He slowly paced around, looking at everywhere around him.

"Penny? Penny? Penny!" the dog yelled. His yells were heard as howls, even going as far as the edge of town. Meanwhile, on Radiant Garden, Kairi was finally having her training with Sora. The two clashed blades left and right and Kairi jumped back to avoid Sora's swing. As promised, Sora went easy against Kairi.

"Not bad Kairi. You're improving." Sora said. Kairi nodded and continued to dodge.

"Well, it's only thanks to you that I've gotten better Sora. But I'm about to show you a new trick I learned." Kairi said. She suddenly revealed a blue bracelet around her wrist. With unknown powers, Kairi unlocked a power and it caused her to transform. When the light around her faded, Kairi was now in Aqua's armor and holding her Keyblade in her other hand.

"Whoa! Kairi! When did you learn to do that?!" Sora gasped.

"Thanks to Aqua, the Keyblader spirit that joined with me. Since you found Atlas' ring, Aqua's power began to awaken again, giving me something that she once wore." Kairi said. Sora quickly realized that this was the same as when he used Atlas' power in the Underworld.

"Okay then. Time to step things up." Sora said. He suddenly revealed a wristband around his arm, it was Ven's. With a flash, Sora was now wearing half of Ven's armor and carrying both Keyblades.

"Let's go Kairi." Sora said. The two smirked before clashing blades again. Mickey and Riku watched from afar.

"It seems that with Sora's guidance, Kairi's turning into one skilled Keyblader. Wouldn't you say Riku?" Mickey asked. Riku nodded, saying he never thought he'd see Kairi advancing so fast in her training. Just as Sora and Kairi's blades were clashed in a stalemate, Goofy came rushing over.

"Sora! Sora!" Goofy called. Sora and Kairi stopped the battle, reverting back to normal.

"Hey Goofy! What's up?" Sora called.

"Well, Cid asked me to come and find you. He said that there's trouble." Goofy said. Sora and Kairi gasped.

"Your Majesty? We'll be back." Sora said. Mickey nodded and the three raced off. When they arrived, they found Cid with Donald, Marta and Emil.

"Okay. We're here. What is it?" Sora asked. Cid turned around and glared at Sora.

"Well, Heartless trouble. That's what. I just picked up those disgusting little vermin messing with another world. You probably should get down there right away." Cid said.

"All right. Kairi? You up for another field adventure?" Sora asked. Kairi looked at the others and nervously blushed.

"Come on Kairi. With the training you've put in, I KNOW you're ready." Marta said. Kairi then looked back at Sora and nodded.

"Great. Let's go." Sora said. Back at the team base, Zelos was taking the time to look around at everything.

"Well, cozy little place the kid's got. Not to mention I don't have to worry about that psycho nut Tifa here. Since I'm here, might as well get to know the others." Zelos said "Or....I could step out for a while and have some fun." He took out a coin and flipped it. He saw the results and cheered.

"All right then. It's fun time for Zelos." Zelos said. He then headed out into town as the Gummi Ship took off. On board was Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Emil and Marta.

"So, does Cid have the destination set?" Sora asked.

"Yep. We should be there in....wak!" Donald squawked before their ship was being hailed on.

"What the?!" Marta gasped. Emil looked out the back and saw Heartless vessels.

"Not them again!" Emil gasped. Goofy gasped, thinking they were Heartless. But this time, Sora was ready. With a push of a button, their weapons were online and they started blasting away at the Heartless.

"Ha! With our weapons back up, we're not running away anymore." Sora chuckled. The team continued to fight bravely through the Heartless vessels as more were coming by the second. With luck, they broke through and reached their destination. It was a planet that seemed to bear a resemblance to Earth with a large city on top.

"Whoa. Never saw that place before." Marta said.

"I wonder what's down there." Kairi said. Sora said there was only one way to find out as the ship begun it's landing. They landed outside a large city, resembling New York City.

"Gawrsh. This place sure looks new." Goofy said. Just then, Sora could feel some kind of dark energy pressing down on him. He suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Sora!" Kairi gasped.

"What's....What's happening to me?!" Sora groaned. Suddenly, in a flash of dark clouds, the Dark Knight appeared!

"Wak! Sora! It's him!" Donald squawked. Sora looked up to see the giant knight before him.

"So, we meet again Sora. It's been a while." he said. Sora groaned.

"Not YOU again. Why are you here?" Sora asked. The Dark Knight drew his blade and pointed it at them as Sora stood.

"I've felt it. Your power has grown. So, I challenge you....to a duel!" he shouted. Sora chuckled and called for his Keyblade.

"Really? You should've asked. Let's get him guys!" Sora called. Everyone nodded and drew their weapons. But the Dark Knight made a threat. Should Sora's friends intervene, he would cast a horrible spell. Sora huffed.

"No problem. I'll still beat you!" Sora shouted. He charged and their swords began to clash with each other. The two seemed to be at a stalemate.

"Come on Sora!" Goofy cheered.

"You can do it!" Donald squawked. Suddenly, the Dark Knight jumped back and delivered a mighty blow to the ground. A powerful energy wave came at Sora and struck him with upchurned rocks and debris. He was sent sliding back.

"Sora!" Emil shouted. Sora groaned and came charging again. The Dark Knight used the same attack but Sora evaded and used Ragnarok on him. The knight was caught off guard as the final strike struck home. However, he suddenly vanished.

"What?!" Sora gasped. Without a sound, the Dark Knight appeared behind Sora and delivered a powerful slash across his back. Sora yelled in pain and dropped to his knees.

"Sora!" the others exclaimed. Sora groaned and moaned as a giant slash mark had torn through his clothes.

"Hmph. Even with all that power, you still can't control it wisely. Pathetic." he said. He withdrew his sword and raised his hand in the air. A dark red aura began to grow around it.

"What the?! Sora! Look out!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora groaned as he tried to look back, his eyes still squinting in pain.

"What do.....What do you.....What do you mean?" Sora asked. The knight huffed.

"Master their powers Keyblader. Otherwise, killing you....won't be much fun." he said. He suddenly fired dark lightning down around Sora and the others and left in a flash. Sora yelled in pain as did his friends.

"Kairi! Look....Look out!" Sora called. Kairi gasped and shielded herself with her arms. A giant lightning bolt struck down at the ground, enveloping everyone in a giant dust cloud. When the cloud faded, Sora began to stir.

"Ohh....my head." Sora groaned. From Sora's eyes, everything appeared to be lower to the ground than before. He could see Kairi's shoes as well as his friends. But when Sora looked at himself, he saw white paws.

"What the? When did I....? Wait a second." Sora said. He took a quick look over himself and saw he transformed into a puppy! He was small in stature and had white fur, wearing his black jacket over the top half of his body and the Keyblade rested at his paws. His hair was now a small tuff on his head and his crown necklace hung around his neck.

"I'm....I'm a dog?!" Sora exclaimed. He looked at his friends. Donald was a pigeon with his staff and cap, Goofy was a turtle with his shield, Marta and Emil were puppies with their fur matching their hair and Kairi was mysteriously still a human.

"Sora? Is that you?" Donald asked. Marta screamed once she noticed her new self. Emil and Marta's dog forms still wore their tops from their human selves and Marta's flowers were still on her head.

"Marta! Is....Is that you? What happened?!" Emil gasped.

"It must've been the Dark Knight! He transformed us." Sora said. Goofy looked over himself as Sora gazed at him with a dissatisfied look.

"What's wrong Sora?" Goofy asked.

"Well, if I'm a dog....and Marta and Emil are too, then.....why are you a turtle again?" Sora asked. Donald wanted to know the same thing.

"Gawrsh. I don't know. Guess it's just luck. Ah-yuck." Goofy said with a grin. But what confused Sora more was why Kairi was still human.

"Maybe her Princess of Heart powers are protecting her. That must've been why she's not changed." Donald pointed out. Sora agreed and walked over to Kairi.

"Kairi? Are you okay? Sorry if that seemed scary. But I'm glad you're....huh?" Sora said. He stared quietly at Kairi as a little smile began to come to her face.

"Uhhhh....Kairi? What?" Sora asked. Suddenly, without warning, Kairi hugged Sora tightly in her arms.

"Ooh! Sora! You're so cute! You should see how cute and fuzzy you are right now!" Kairi giggled. Sora groaned and tried to force himself out of Kairi's arms.

"Kairi! Come on! Get a grip!" Sora called "But not on me!" Kairi giggled and scratched Sora's head. Strangely, Sora's back leg started to kick. He stared at his leg and groaned.

"Okay! That's enough!" Sora shouted. He slipped out of Kairi's arms as he heard someone's voice yelling for help.

"What's that?" Emil said.

"Must be the Heartless. Let's go!" Sora shouted. Everyone agreed and headed over towards the sound. By the time they arrived inside the city, they couldn't see any Heartless at all.

"That's weird. I wonder what's going on." Goofy said. Just then, Sora saw what looked like a white dog, about his size, staring intensly at a lock on a truck. He had a black lightning bolt on his lower end as a black cat sat by his side. It was Bolt and his "prisoner" Mittens.

"Hey. What are you guys doing?" Sora asked.

"Stand back! If I stare at the lock long enough, it'll burst into flames." Bolt said, clenching his teeth together. Mittens groaned.

"Hey ya dumb dog. How long are you gonna stand there and stare until you realize nothing's gonna happen?" Mittens asked. Marta approached Mittens and asked what was going on, only to get a scream as a reply.

"Not more dogs! What?! You guys with this crazy nut here too?!" Mittens exclaimed. Bolt stopped staring and looked back.

"Huh? Where did you come from?" Bolt asked "Who are you?" Sora looked at the others and figured introductions were in order.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	25. Ch 25: While Sora Is Away

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 25: While Sora Is Away_**

As Sora and friends met up with Bolt and the others in the new world, back at Radiant Garden, Riku was having a sparring match with Seifer. The two clashed swords with critical timing and Seifer put a lot of force behind his attacks. When they reached a stalemate, Seifer glared at Riku with a snicker.

"What's the matter? Running out of steam?" Seifer asked. Riku huffed.

"Not even close." Riku said. Suddenly, he pulled off a quick swing at Seifer while he felt confident and knocked his blade from his hand. The surprise move knocked Seifer to the ground and he groaned.

"Humph. Lucky break." Seifer said. He dashed for his blade and quickly grasped it.

"Let's see you do that again!" Seifer shouted. He came at Riku again as Raine, Genis and Stitch watched. Hercules arrived shortly.

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" Herc asked.

"Watching Seifer and Riku's sparring match. Without Sora, not much happens." Genis sighed. Raine smiled.

"Now Genis, just because Sora isn't with us doesn't mean we shouldn't expect trouble." Raine said. Herc agreed with Raine, saying they all needed to be prepared.

"For what? Anyone else but me notice that the Heartless ONLY show up when Sora is around here? We've hardly had any Heartless attacks when he's out exploring. And why hasn't he invited ME to come along yet? Emil and Marta left too." Genis groaned.

"Hey. Don't worry. Something might happen. Don't feel so left out." Herc said. But unknown to them, a telescope came peeping up from under the man hole cover and was spying on them. As the scene changes, there is a quick "Doofenshmirtz Underground Hideout" jingle sung. On the other end of the periscope was Doofenshmirtz himself.

"Ah ha ha ha! Perfect! The fools do not suspect a thing!" Doofenshmirtz gleefully chuckled. He turned around and spied all of his diabolical gadgets and gizmos, including his unplugged Shrinkinator. But beyond all of those was a large chamber with floating hearts inside.

"With my newest, most sinister creation yet...I will truly be EVIL!" Doofenshmirtz laughed. He approached the container and pulled on a handle. Out popped a heart from an opening and in a flash, it created an Emblem Heartless. The Heartless was a Toy Soldier.

"May I present the Doofenshmirtz Heartless Creatinator!" Doofenshmirtz annouced. He pressed a button and applause was played.

"No! No! You're too kind. But...eh wait. What about this doesn't seem right? Hmm. Something's missing. I know. It's Perry the Platapus." Doofenshmirtz said. As the doctor yakked on, the scene changes back to Sora and friends in a truck heading out of town. With them was Bolt and Mittens.

"Wow. This is the first time we've got around by hitching a ride. It's a lot easier on the feet." Sora sighed. The truck they were in was the same moving van that Bolt tried to blow the lock off. Bolt sat on the couch, ever vigilant.

"So, your name's Bolt?" Goofy asked. Bolt nodded.

"Yeah. And as I said before, me and my prisoner are heading off to Doctor Calico's lair. When we do, I'll finally save Penny." Bolt said. Mittens groaned.

"Look you dumb dog. I've been trying to tell you. That tiny dog mind of yours has got everything backwards." Mittens said. Kairi watched from the wall and felt a little disturbed, seeing all of her friends were animals now. On the other side, Marta had trouble maintaining balance as a dog.

"Whoa! Okay. This is getting hard." Marta stuttered. Suddenly, she lost footing and tackled into Emil.

"Ouf! Marta. Are you okay?" Emil asked. Marta gasped and quickly scurried back.

"Oops. Heh heh. Sorry Emil. It's just...It's really hard standing up like this." Marta said. Suddenly, a box above Bolt was shaking and it came crashing on him. He yelled and furiously leaped out of the box. Attached to his fur was styrofoam peanuts.

"Aah! Get it off! Get it off!" Bolt exclaimed. He furiously shook his fur as the styrofoam was flying everywhere.

"Bolt! Bolt! Calm down! It's just styrofoam." Sora said. Bolt barked, saying that styrofoam was his weakness. Suddenly, Bolt slipped and his force opened the door. Still clinging to Mitten's leash, the two fell from the truck and tumbled into the grass.

"Bolt! Mittens!" Sora exclaimed. Everyone quickly jumped out and chased after the two animals, rolling down towards a trailer park neighborhood. When they finally caught up, Bolt could feel as if he was in pain.

"Ooh...what...what happened?" Bolt muttered. He put his paw down and felt a sting. Kairi examined Bolt's paw and saw he cut himself.

"Oh. You poor little guy. You cut yourself. Maybe I can...huh?" Kairi said. Suddenly, as she held Bolt's paw, a glowing blue light was surrounding her hand. When Kairi looked again, Bolt's paw was completely healed.

"What?" Sora, Donald and Goofy exclaimed. Bolt looked at his paw and set it back down, feeling no pain at all.

"Gawrsh! Did...Did Kairi just heal Bolt?" Goofy asked. Sora was too speechless to say anything, so was Marta and Emil. Just then, the Dark Knight could be seen watching from behind a tree.

"It can't be. She has the gift of healing. Could it be...? No. It can't. Still, I can't ignore this." he said. He walked away and looked back, snapping his fingers. Suddenly, the ground around Sora and the others began to shake.

"What the...?" Emil shuddered.

"What's...What's this?" Bolt asked. Suddenly, Kairi saw something emerging and grabbed Sora.

"Kairi! What?" Sora gasped. Everyone quickly dashed back as Kairi set Sora back down. In the ground, a large skeleton was being formed in the dirt. It took the shape of a dog and on it's head was a glowing Heartless mark. It appeared as a giant zombified dog.

"Gah! What is that...that...that THING?" Mittens screamed.

"Heartless!" Sora gasped. Sora, Donald and Goofy quickly lashed out their weapons as Emil could do the same. Marta couldn't bring out her spinner, since her weapon wasn't like the others.

"A Heartless? I see. This must be one of your friends cat. It came to spring you from my custody. Well, too bad for him that he's going to regret coming after us." Bolt said. Mittens groaned.

"Something's not right with that dog." Donald said. Sora wanted to agree, but he agreed with Bolt that the Heartless was going to regret showing up. Kairi summoned her Keyblade.

"All right Sora! Let's go!" Kairi called. Changing back to Radiant Garden, Genis was having a sparring match also. This time, he was using his magical spells and challenged Merlin.

"Ho ho! Do you think your magic can match mine?" Merlin asked. Genis chuckled.

"Raine's taught me a lot of good magic. Now it's time I prove to her how skilled I am." Genis said. Genis drew his weapon as Merlin's wand slipped out of his sleeve.

"Good luck Genis! We're rooting for you!" Riku called. Genis smiled and waved. Watching was Riku, Raine, Seifer, Colette and Lilo.

"All right. A magic duel it is." Merlin said. But just before either could cast a spell, they sensed something coming.

"Hey. What the?" Riku said. Behind Merlin, everyone saw Toy Soldier Heartless approaching.

"Whoa! Are those...?" Genis asked. Riku nodded.

"Heartless. And there seems to be a bunch of them." Riku said. Seifer snickered.

"Finally. I thought things were going to be boring." Seifer said. Lilo gasped and called for Stitch. Seifer and Riku drew their weapons as the Heartless came. Down below in Doofenshmirtz's lair, he was using his device to mass produce Heartless. They all came out as either Toy Soldier or as the different colored Requiem.

"Ha ha! Yes my pets! Go! Attack the surface! Pillage everyone of their goodies! Go! GO!" Doofenshmirtz declared. Something was wrong with Doofenshmirtz at this point. He laughed in a deeper voice and his eyes glowed black with yellow eyes.

"With my Heartless army, we will take back the city!" Doofenshmirtz shouted. With a few clicks on the keyboard and a lever pulled, new Heartless were being made. Now appearing were Defender Heartless. Above ground, Sora's friends were in fierce combat with the Heartless. Seifer slashed down a Toy Soldier before he was struck by a Yellow Requiem. Raine and Genis launched spells together in unison.

"Where are they coming from?" Riku shouted.

"I don't know. This is bad. If they continue producing like this, the town will be overtaken by Heartless." Raine said. Colette was fighting too, using her tripping tackles and Pow Hammer. Seifer struck down a Requiem as he noticed a Defender coming.

"Heh. Finally. Something worthy to fight me. Come on! Bring it on!" Seifer shouted. He came charging at the Heartless and their weapons clashed. Stitch growled as he swung a Toy Soldier by it's head and slammed it onto Heartless.

"No punch back! Aba chucha!" Stitch shouted. He threw the Toy Soldier at another and they eradicated each other. But more were soon coming.

"Garsh darn it! Where is the king?" Merlin groaned. At the Hollow Bastion Committee, Mickey, Cloud and Leon were holding back more Heartless.

"This isn't good. Where are these things coming from?" Leon thought. Mickey jumped and slashed down three Red Requiem in a row. Just then, Mickey saw Defender Heartless approaching Vincent.

"Vincent! Look out!" Mickey called. Vincent just huffed.

"You looking to die? Fine." Vincent said. He raised his hand to the Heartless as red glowing energy surrounded him.

"What the?" Mickey gasped.

"Don't worry. This is something Vincent knows how to do. He can handle them." Cloud said. Suddenly, Vincent was engulfed in red fire as his appearance began to change. In a flash, Vincent had transformed into a monstrous beast known as the Galian Beast.

"What the? Is...Is Vincent a Heartless too?" Mickey asked. After Yuffie slashed down a Toy Soldier, she chuckled.

"Not quite. That's one of his powers. He can transform himself into this form so he unleash powerful attacks." Yuffie said. Mickey watched as Vincent used a powerful Beast Flare and eradicated all the Heartless before him.

"Nice job Vincent. Come on. We've got to find the others!" Leon called. Aerith and Cid stayed behind with Rinoa as the other Committee members charged into town.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	26. Ch 26: Truly Powerless Bolt

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 26: Truly Powerless Bolt_**

As Sora's friends pressed on against Doofenshmirtz and the Heartless in Radiant Garden, Sora was in heated battle against the giant Heartless. The giant beast roared and snarled, stomping around and snapping it's jaws. Mittens screamed and ran up a tree. Bolt stood ready on the ground.

"This is obviously one of Doctor Calico's tricks. Well, all right. Taste the power of my super bark!" Bolt called. He firmly took his stance and was prepared to bark. But when he did, nothing happened.

"What?!" Bolt gasped. The Heartless suddenly swung it's tail and flicked Bolt away.

"Bolt!" Sora called. He groaned and attacked the Heartless' face. The giant dog roared and groaned. It snarled and began firing fire balls from it's mouth.

"Incoming!" Donald squawked. Everyone rushed away, avoiding the fire. Donald fired back with his own fire, but it didn't affect it as much. Bolt figured if he couldn't use his bark, he would try and ram into it. But he was effortlessly swatted aside again. Kairi came charging.

"Kairi!" Sora called. She drew her blade and began attacking it's legs.. However, the giant beast stomped down and the quake it caused made her fumble. It then pounced towards her. Kairi screamed.

"Kairi!" Marta screamed. She raced over and knocked her away and they both missed the giant dog pouncing them. But it wasn't over as the giant dog came screeching to a stop.

"Thanks Marta." Kairi muttered. But then, they both saw the Heartless glaring at them and snarling.

"Marta! Look out!" Emil called. Together, Sora and Emil rushed over to their friends and raised their weapons in defense. The Heartless grinned and made a lung for them.

"Oh no!" Donald groaned.

"Sora! Kairi!" Goofy exclaimed. But just before the Heartless could finish it's pounce, a dark hand was seen grabbing the Heartless by the head.

"Minion of darkness! Bend to my will!" a voice echoed. Emil and Marta gasped.

"Wait a second! That voice!" Marta gasped. She and Emil looked at each other and then at the Heartless dangling in the air.

"Is....Is that Tenebrae?" Emil asked. The giant Heartless suddenly stopped and slowly descended towards the ground. Above it, holding onto it's head, was Tenebrae.

"Finally. It would seem I CAN bend these "Heartless" to obey me." Tenebrae said. With a snap, the Heartless was completely broken down into it's bones, which faded away shortly after. Emil and Marta smiled.

"Tenebrae!" they called. Tenebrae looked down and appeared rather shocked.

"Lord Emil? Lady Marta?!" Tenebrae gasped. He warped down to their eye level.

"Tenebrae! It IS you!" Marta giggled.

"What...What on earth happened to you two?!" Tenebrae asked. But suddenly, Donald mistook Tenebrae for another Heartless.

"Wak! Another Heartless! I got it!" Donald squawked. He flashed a Thunder spell and zapped Tenebrae.

"Geowch! You there! I am NOT a Heartless!" Tenebrae yelled. Emil and Marta chuckled.

"That really is Tenebrae, no doubting that." Emil chuckled. Sora asked if Emil and Marta really knew who this guy was. They both nodded.

"Ah. I see you have made some new friends. Perhaps I should introduce myself." Tenebrae said. He cleared his throat and sat down.

"My name is Centurion Tenebrae, an acquaitance of Emil and Marta. A pleasure." Tenebrae said. Goofy looked at Tenebrae's body.

"So, are you a dog or a cat?" Goofy asked.

"Neither. I am a Centurion, the Centurion of Darkness. We are the servants to Lord Ratatosk, that is, the ruler of the world we came from." Tenebrae said. Donald and the others continued to listen as Bolt looked at himself shocked.

"What...What just happened?! Why...Why didn't any of my powers work?" Bolt asked himself. He slowly looked at his side, at the lightning bolt. Meanwhile, back in Radiant Garden, Riku and the others continued to press on through the oncoming Heartless. Zelos, noticing the Heartless appearing, also jumped in.

"Okay. Now I don't know what you guys are, but I seriously doubt you are supposed to be here." Zelos said. He drew his blade and shield and charged into battle. He forced Heartless aside before slashing them down.

"Ha! Come on. Is this all you've got?!" Zelos asked. Deeper in the crowd, Riku attacked the Heartless surrounding the town square with Cloud.

"We better find the source of these monsters....and fast." Cloud thought. Riku slashed down a Defender before he noticed something. Most of the Heartless appeared to be coming from the direction of the Bailey.

"Cloud! I think I know where the Heartless are coming from! Tell the others to head for the Bailey!" Riku called out. Cloud nodded as Riku pressed on. Nearby the Bailey, Doofenshmirtz had set up his devices inside a nearby cave. It was on the same field as where Sora defeated Demyx.

"Ha ha ha! Excellent! With the machine working at this rate, we'll have the entire city in no time....!" Doofenshmirtz laughed. But suddenly, he was attacked, rather swatted in the head, from behind.

"What?! Who in the.....Gah!" Doofenshmirtz gasped. It was Perry!

"Perry the Platypus?!" Doofenshmirtz exclaimed "But....But how did you...?! When did you...?!" Perry lunged for Doofenshmirtz and grabbed his nose, throwing him away from the machine.

"Why you...! Heartless! Get that platypus!" Doofenshmirtz shouted. Perry looked shocked as the Heartless drew near. Switching back to Sora, Tenebrae had just finished his explanation.

"So....Tenebrae? What happened to Aqua? Or Richter? Or....Ratatosk?" Marta asked. Emil nodded.

"I'm afraid that I am not sure. Most of the other Centurions were taken captive by the Heartless and as for Aqua and Richter...I fear they might not have made it." Tenebrae said. He looked away.

"Wait! Tenebrae. What about Ratatosk? Is he okay?" Emil asked.

"Since Lord Ratatosk divided himself so Emil could live his life, he has implanted his core within Richter's forehead. I'm afraid they might have perished together." Tenebrae said. Marta gasped, but just then, Emil's eyes glowed red.

"What are you talking about Tenebrae? I'm right here." Emil said in a deeper voice. The others gasped.

"Whoa! What...What happened to him?!" Mittens gasped. Tenebrae gasped.

"Lord Ratatosk! Is that...Is that really you?!" Tenebrae asked.

"Of course it's me. After Richter and I were separated in the Ginnugagap, I was able to escape. Though Richter has my core, my spirit still lives on. For the time being, I found Emil's body and need it to remain in this world." Emil said. Emil's eyes turned green again.

"Then...if that's the case, you're welcomed back Ratatosk." Emil said. Sora and the others appeared incredibly confused now.

"Then....that means Richter might still be alive also." Marta said.

"Okay. Whoa! Hold on a second. I am really confused now. What's going on?" Sora asked. But before Tenebrae answered, they heard a squealing laugh.

"That was AMAZING!" a voice shouted. The others froze up before looking at the nearby table. On top was a small hamster in a ball. It was Rhino.

"Who...Where did you come from?" Marta asked. Back in Radiant Garden, Perry was being held against the wall by the Heartless.

"Ha ha! See now Perry the Platypus? This time, who won? I DID!" Doofenshmirtz laughed. However, he wasn't counting on the others nearing.

"You sure about this Riku?" Genis asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure. They all seem to be coming this way." Riku said. But just then, Riku stopped in his tracks when he felt something strange. It felt like there was a strange energy emitting from the ground.

"Riku? What's wrong?" Raine asked. Cloud looked on as Riku approached the center of the floor. Suddenly, the ground beneath him opened up and he fell down it.

"Riku!" Genis exclaimed. But suddenly, they saw more Heartless appearing.

"Well, guess the kid was right. This IS where they're coming from." Zelos said. Just then, they heard someone yelling in the distance. Riding a sliding rock like a sled was Lilo and Stitch, plowing into the Heartless.

"Abachucha!" Stitch shouted. Lilo hopped off as Stitch grabbed hold of the rock.

"Catch!" Stitch shouted. He threw the rock like a frisbee and slashed down the Heartless before him. As all the fighting went on, Riku finally reached the bottom of the hole.

"Ogh. My head." Riku groaned. He looked around, seeing nothing but pitch black before him.

"Where am I? What....What is this place?" Riku thought. He took one step onto a tile, that slowly clicked. In a flash, torches were lit around Riku. With the torches lit up, the room took the appearance of a thieve's hideout.

"This looks like some kind of hide out. But...who could live all the way down here? An ancient Keyblader maybe?" Riku said. He took a look around before seeing something on the floor. It appeared to be a small feather.

"A feather?" Riku thought. He slowly bent down and picked it up. Suddenly, a giant flash shined and Riku was temporarily blinded. When he could see again, he was not in the same place. But he was in a alternate dimension. Before him was a middle aged man with long black hair, holding a tuff of feathers by his right ear, adorned in rogue clothing and carrying a Keyblade.

"No way. Are you....the ancient Keyblader of this world?" Riku asked.

"Yes. My name is Sykes and I am the Keyblader that once wielded the blade in this world." Sykes said. Riku introduced himself and asked why he was dressed like this, thinking a Keyblader would be a hero in their worlds. Sykes sighed.

"Unfortunately, I was never seen as much of a hero from the start." Sykes said. Riku asked why.

"You want to know? Thank my actions. At first, I was a low life thief that barely managed to make it out of tight situations. Then one day, I was given the Keyblade and ever since....I couldn't get rid of it." Syke said. Riku glanced at the blade in his hand, seeing it's thief like design.

"Even with this blade, I still commited crimes. But all that changed when I saved the town from a giant Heartless....a Behemoth. The beast was strong and it was truly powerful. It was then that I realized that the deeper my heart sank into darkness, behind all my thievery and tricks, I was slowly being consumed." Syke said. Riku gasped.

"That....That's just like me. I wielded the darkness also, but for different reasons. I thought my best friend had abandoned me for new friends." Riku said "But I was blinded. Maleficent tricked me and soon after, my body became a host for Xehanort's Heartless." Sykes groaned.

"It seems that we both had a taste of the darkness before coming to the light. Very well then. Riku, was it?" Sykes asked. Riku nodded.

"I sense a great battle coming. And you may need my strength to overcome it." Sykes said. Riku nodded.

"I know. That's why my friends and I are searching for you. We're trying to gather the ancient Keybladers together before the Dark Knight gets to you first." Riku said. Sykes smirked.

"I understand. For this battle Riku, I shall lend you my power." Sykes said. Riku smiled and the two shook hands. From their hands, a light began merging Sykes and Riku together. Up above, Colette and the other committee members finally arrived.

"Sorry we're late." Yuffie said.

"Where's Riku?" Leon asked. Zelos pointed to the hole before a beam of light suddenly shot up from the hole. Rising up from the hole was Riku, wearing Sykes' tuff of feathers in his hair.

"Riku? Whoa man. Where did you come from?" Genis asked. Riku said he would explain later. Right now, he was focused more on the Heartless.

"Yeah! Come on Stitch! Let's go!" Lilo cheered. Stitch nodded.

"Let's go. There's a cave nearby. Let's move!" Riku shouted. Everyone followed Riku towards the cave, where Doofenshmirtz and Perry awaited.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	27. Ch 27: Riku's Transformation

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 27: Riku's Transformation_**

Deep within the caves outside Radiant Garden, Perry was held against the wall by Doofenshmirtz's Heartless. The insane doctor laughed and chortled.

"I bet I know what YOU are thinking Perry the Platypus. You must be thinking "Doof! Why...Why are you getting yourself involved with the Heartless? They...They couldn't POSSIBLY want anything from YOU!" Doofenshmirtz chuckled. Perry looked away and nodded.

"Well, you are WRONG my beaver tailed friend. You see, with the Heartless agreeing to serve me...." Doofenshmirtz chuckled. Suddenly, Perry saw with a blink of his eyes, Doofenshmirtz was being controlled as his eyes were now black.

"With the Heartless at my side, we shall RULE over Hollow Bastion once more!" Doofenshmirtz exclaimed. He went into a evil laugh before hearing Riku and friends burst in.

"Not so fast there doctor!" Riku shouted.

"Freeze!" Genis called. Doofenshmirtz looked back and chuckled.

"So, we have more guests huh? Why didn't you tell me?" Doofenshmirtz chuckled. He glanced at Perry, seeing the small animal shrug.

"Well, welcome my friends. I guess you found out about my Heartless having a little "fun" above ground." Doofensmirtz said. Everyone pointed their weapons at him, causing him to gasp.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on now! Don't go pointing those at me! I'm just a evil scientist!" Doofenshmirtz shuddered. Everyone suddenly looked confused.

"What is WRONG with this guy?" Riku asked.

"We probably should be careful. If he's capable of controlling the Heartless, this might just be a cover." Raine said. Genis nodded. Just then, they heard the deep voiced Doofenshmirtz laughing.

"Of course it was. I see that this "fool" isn't going to do anything. So....I WILL." he said. Everyone gasped.

"Whoa! Did puberty hit this guy or something?" Zelos asked. Doofenshmirtz laughed and commanded the Heartless to attack. They charged towards the group while leaving Perry behind. Riku and the others dashed back outside, leading the Heartless into a more open area. Perry then lunged at Doofenshmirtz and grabbed the doctor's head.

"Gah! Perry the Platypus! What are....What are you doing?! Get off me!" he shouted. He threw Perry off of his head and the platypus crashed into the back of a Defender Heartless. Back in town, Vincent and Hercules were trying to hold back the invading Heartless with Tifa and the Gullwings.

"Hope the others are doing all right." Herc said. He grabbed a chunk of fallen debris and crushed approaching Toy Soldiers with it. Meanwhile, Riku was trying to fight his way towards the doctor.

"Riku! Look out!" Lilo exclaimed. Riku looked around and saw Shadow Heartless lung for him. He groaned.

"Get...Get off me!" Riku shouted. He reached for the feather on his head and the second he touched it, a giant light flashed and shot away the Heartless.

"What the?! How did.....WHAT did you DO to yourself?!" Doofenshmirtz exclaimed. Riku was now dressed in Syke's clothing and wielded two Keyblades, his blade and Syke's.

"Time to give this new power a test run." Riku said. He began swinging his blades around and with each swing, he sent out dark energy waves. They appeared to be stronger than the Heartless and ended up breaking them apart with each strike.

"Awesome! Go Riku!" Genis cheered. As Riku fought ahead, Stitch snarled and bit down on a Defender's shield. He actually managed to lift the Heartless above him, jaws still clenched tightly to the shield, and spun him around before throwing it like a spiraling frisbee at nearby Heartless.

"No! No! No! All right! That is it!" Doofenshmirtz shouted. Suddenly, a weird dark energy forced itself from the doctor's body, taking it's form but with a Heartless emblem.

"Be careful. I think our TRUE enemy has finally appeared." Raine said. The real Doofenshmirtz groaned and rattled his head.

"Oh, my head. Huh? Perry the Platypus? How did....Where ARE we?" Doofenshmirtz asked. The Heartless laughed.

"At last. I do not need to stay hidden within YOUR pathetic body. Now, we of the Heartless can finally reclaim this world!" the Heartless Doofenshmirtz shouted. Riku groaned.

"Who are you? What are you even talking about?" Riku asked. The Heartless chuckled, saying he was one of the souls of the Heartless that was slain in Hollow Bastion.

"No doubt Sora was involved with that. But this guy picked the wrong time to show up again." Riku thought. The Heartless snapped it's fingers and more Heartless began to appear.

"Oh boy. This isn't looking good." Zelos groaned. Genis nodded in agreement.

"Aba! Abata Chucha!" Stitch shouted. He snarled and growled, standing before Lilo. Suddenly, Hercules could be seen faintly on the ridge behind them. He took a couple steps back before charging directly for the group.

"Hey Heartless! Try THIS on for size!" Hercules shouted. The others backed away as Hercules came crashing onto the ground, causing a tremendous quake and sending out a wave of his glowing energy at the Heartless, completely evaporating them. Though it took some damage, the only one left was the Heartless Doofenshmirtz.

"What?! No! No! My plans!" Doofenshmirtz's Heartless snarled. He suddenly looked back at Perry and the doctor. He figured that he didn't want to be next, so he made a dive for the doctor's body. But Perry intercepted with a swing of his tail and struck the Heartless' face. It began to evaporate into black smoke.

"CURSE YOU Perry the Platypus!" the Heartless bellowed. Before looking at the others, Perry chirped for a short second. Raine sighed.

"Thank goodness all of this is over." Raine said. Genis sighed.

"Too bad Riku got to have most of the fun." Genis said. Back in town, the Heartless were beginning to fade away with their leader's fall. With things calming down, we change back to Sora and friends in Bolt's world. Tagging along now was Rhino, unable to be shaken.

"All right! Wahoo! If what happens before happens to you guys again, don't worry. I'm ready to fight!" Rhino exclaimed. Mittens groaned.

"Great. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of dogs, a shrimpy mammal, a buzzard, a slowpoke turtle and some cat dog hyrbid thing." Mittens sighed. Tenebrae groaned.

"Miss, I would ask that you NOT call me by that. I told you my name is Tenebrae and I am a Centurion!" Tenebrae shouted. Mittens scoffed.

"Well, excuse me! I just thought ONE of you guys could be sane for once." Mittens said "For one thing, that oversized mongrel before nearly killed us!" Sora watched Tenebrae and Mittens argue before looking at Emil.

"Hey Emil? Just a question but....are you SURE we can trust Tenebrae? I mean, if he uses darkness..." Sora said. Marta sighed.

"It's like we said. Tenebrae is our best friend and besides, you saw what he did with that Heartless." Marta said. Kairi agreed with her. Up ahead, Bolt still seemed discouraged by what just happened.

"That monster...I....I couldn't do a thing. What...What's happening to me?" Bolt thought. Mittens looked at Bolt while Tenebrae was still nagging. She walked over to his side and asked if he was doing all right.

"I don't know. Lately, I feel like....something is wrong here." Bolt said. Mittens sighed.

"It's like I've been trying to tell ya kid. You don't have these "super powers" you keep talking about. You're just a dog." Mittens said. Rhino scoffed.

"Don't listen to her Bolt! What does a mangy FELINE know anyway?" Rhino asked. Mittens growled and flashed a claw.

"I know enough as to how to pry open a hamster's ball and eat what's inside! I haven't really eaten much ya know!" Mittens snarled. Bolt sighed as Sora approached.

"Bolt? You feeling all right? Hey. Cheer up. We all made it out of there without a scrape." Sora said. Bolt shook his head.

"Sora, you saw me back there. I got tossed around like a weakling. How could this have happened?" Bolt asked. Sora didn't know himself.

"To be frank, what Rhino told us sounds kind of out of place. How can a dog have laser vision, a super bark and all that? Don't take it the wrong way Bolt. We're your friends and we're trying to help." Sora said. Bolt stopped for a minute and looked back at the others, seeing most of them nod including Mittens.

"All I want is to see you realize what you REALLY are. Don't keep living a lie." Mittens said. Bolt let off a small smile.

"Thank you everyone." Bolt said. Goofy chuckled.

"Don't wory Bolt. If you wanna see your friend again, then we'll make sure you get to see her again." Goofy said. Bolt smiled, looking up at the sky.

"Hey Goofy? How is it you seem to know exactly what to say?" Sora asked. Goofy chuckled.

"Gawrsh. I don't really know. Must just be from experience." Goofy chuckled. Donald and Sora glanced at each other.

"With THAT laugh, I think otherwise." Donald said. Bolt looked up at a nearby cloud and saw it taking the shape of Penny's face.

"Penny. I'm coming." Bolt thought. Meanwhile, all the way back at the studios, Penny was seen sulking alone in the large empty set. At her side was another dog, the Bolt brought in to continue the show. She sighed.

"Bolt? Where are you? I can't stand it anymore. I need you." Penny said. The other Bolt whined and rubbed it's head against her leg. But Penny slowly shifted away.

"What do you know? You're not my real friend." Penny said. The fake Bolt whined and walked off, leaving Penny alone. But just as it did, a dark portal appeared before Penny. And from it, out stepped the Dark Knight.

"What the? Who....Who are you?" Penny asked. The knight glared down at Penny.

"I couldn't help but over hear your dillema my dear. I can help you see your friend again. I truly can." he said. Penny gasped, looking directly at the knight's face.

"Really?! You know where Bolt is?!" Penny gasped. The Dark Knight extended his hand.

"All you have to do is put your trust in me. I'll help you find your friend." he said. Penny began trembling in her place, unsure whether to believe him or not. As the hours passed, Sora and the others pressed on ahead towards the studios and they finally arrived after hours of traveling.

"Hey. Is that it?" Sora asked. Bolt nodded.

"Yeah. That's the place. It looks like we finally made it." Bolt said. The others looked on as Bolt took the moment to stop. He had been thinking about everything, the adventures he's had on set and the things that were around him.

"I think I know by now....that nothing around me back then was real. I even bought all of that. But....still, I feel....really nervous about coming back. What if....What if all the attention Penny gave me was just part of the act too?" Bolt asked. The others approached Bolt.

"Don't say that Bolt. Penny's your friend. And NOTHING can ever pass off as "friendship" but the real thing." Goofy said. Emil nodded and glanced at Marta, who also nodded. But just as Bolt felt ready to go on ahead, they stopped when they saw smoke in the distance.

"Oh no...." Bolt muttered.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	28. Ch 28: The True Strength of Bravery

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 28: The True Strength of Bravery_**

Sora and the others dashed as fast as they could towards the smoke. They saw it coming from one of the nearby studio sets. Bolt's eyes widened from fear.

"No. This...I think this is....Penny!" Bolt called. Inside, smoke was filling the set and fire was set ablaze. Penny gagged and coughed, staring at the Dark Knight's face.

"I...I don't get it. What...What are you doing?" Penny coughed. The Dark Knight stared at her.

"I'm making sure you accept my terms. You refused my terms...and now you must pay the penalty for defying me." he said. Penny coughed and dropped to her knees.

"But...you were....asking me to....to..." Penny mumbled before fainting. The Dark Knight huffed.

"I had a feeling she'd be no help. Oh well." he said. A snap of his fingers brought forth a powerful Heartless. It's entire body was set ablaze in fire and a Heartless mark was visible on it's chester.

"Burn this entire place to the ground." he said. The Heartless cackled and began spitting up balls of fire, causing more fires. The Dark Knight walked away using a dark portal and vanished. Outside, people were running for help while Sora and others pressed on.

"Holy cow! What's going on?!" Rhino exclaimed.

"How should I know? It's obvious a fire is acting up!" Mittens shouted. Bolt and Sora led the charge with Kairi running alongside everyone else. They just neared the studio when Heartless appeared. They were Red Requiem, Fiery Globe and Soldiers.

"Move it!" Sora shouted. He slashed down the Heartless, creating an opening big enough for everyone. Emil held his sword in his teeth and joined Sora when Heartless appeared. Marta figured she try and help, realizing that her spinner's strength was fused with her.

"Hey. I can fight!" Marta cheered. Inside the studio, everyone continued to charge for the set. But while all of the animals made it, fire burned down a large part of the roofing and cut Kairi off with Tenebrae.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora screeched to a stop and looked back.

"Kairi!" he yelled. Bolt raced to Penny and tried to wake her up. He softly whined, seeing no movement from Penny. However, when he nudged her just enough, Penny's eyes squinted open.

"B...Bolt? Is that...Is that really you?" Penny asked. Bolt barked and happily wagged his tail. Penny slowly hugged him as Bolt came in closer.

"I'm....I'm so happy to see you. Please.....go....go get h....help." Penny muttered. She then fainted again, leaving Bolt looking on worried.

"Come on! We've got to get help!" Bolt exclaimed. They nodded and was about to dash off. But the Heartless appeared before them. It cackled and chortled.

"A Heartless!" Donald squawked. Suddenly, a barrier went up around the entire inside.

"Oh no! Now we can't escape! And Penny needs help!" Goofy gasped. Sora readied himself for a fight.

"Isn't it obvious Goofy? All we got to do is beat this guy." Sora said. Bolt stared on at the Heartless' face.

"You. You did this to this place, didn't you?" Bolt asked. The Heartless cackled. It created a fireball and threw it at Bolt, striking the dog and singed his fur.

"Bolt!" the others cried. Bolt groaned and stood back up.

"I....I won't let you...do this." Bolt growled. The Heartless fired again, hitting Bolt with a stronger ball of fire. He fell to the ground.

"Oh no! You okay?!" Mittens exclaimed. Rhino gasped. Bolt tried to force himself up again, but his paws slipped.

"Bolt! Let us worry about this!" Sora shouted. But Bolt wouldn't stop.

"No. I'm....I'm going to.....I'm going to protect Penny. She....She's....She's my best friend." Bolt groaned. Donald squawked and told Bolt to stay down, stating he couldn't fight.

"Well, I might not....I may not be....able to hurt it. But...I'm....I'm going to protect Penny....with whatever power I DO have." Bolt groaned. The Heartless narrowed it's eyes and clapped both hands together, making a large fireball. It threw it directly for Bolt.

"Bolt! Look out!" everyone exclaimed. Suddenly, Sora saw his Keyblade shaking and glowing. A beam of light fired from it's tip and headed towards Bolt just as the fireball crashed down. While everyone thought Bolt was finished, they saw the small dog glowing brightly. The Heartless gasped.

"What...What's happening?" Bolt asked. He suddenly felt something welling up inside and he barked. But what came out was his super bark! It slammed the Heartless into the roof.

"Whoa! He...He really DOES have a super bark! Ha! See?! I told you!" Rhino exclaimed. The Heartless groaned, forcing itself from the roof.

"Did I...Did I really do that?" Bolt asked. He looked over himself and saw that something gave him the strength to help Penny. Bolt glared at the Heartless and growled, joined by Sora and friends.

"Now then.....stay away....from Penny!" Bolt barked. The Heartless snarled and fired rapid streams of fireballs. But Sora and the others jumped away as Donald launched an Blizzard spell. The Heartless managed to melt the ice before drifting in too close for Sora to strike.

"Here we come!" Sora shouted. Sora jumped and unleashed a combo, knocking the Heartless closer to the ground. Goofy came at it in a spiraling attack, using his shield shell to knock it around and into Donald's Thunder.

"My turn!" Emil shouted. He came charging, eyes flashing red.

"Now prepare to feel my power!" Emil shouted. He unleashed a Havoc attack, knocking the Heartless down to Bolt's level, causing it to be attacked by Bolt's speed. Marta countered with a spinning strike as Mittens and Rhino watched from afar.

"Ha ha! All right Bolt! Go for it!" Rhino cheered.

"Get him Bolt! Get that little sucker!" Mittens exclaimed. Another strike from Emil forced the Heartless to the floor.

"We've got him now!" Donald exclaimed. But suddenly, the Heartless had enough and screeched. It's screech made it bigger and called for Fiery Globe Heartless.

"Uh oh." Goofy shuddered. The Heartless glared down at them, giving off it's devilish grin. But Bolt and Sora wasn't scared.

"Bolt?" Sora asked.

"Let's do this." Bolt said. Together, Sora and Bolt jumped at the Heartless and they started unleashing a limit attack, almost seemed to mimic the Wildcat limit. Sora and Bolt used unison barks to shake the ground around the Heartless, slamming it with their energy waves. The Heartless groaned and whined, taking each hit.

"Here it comes! This is it!" Sora exclaimed. At the same time, Bolt and Sora stopped and let off twin super barks, quaking the entire room and finishing the Heartless. All the sounds from Bolt and Sora woke Penny slightly. She could faintly see Bolt's glowing aura.

"B...Bolt?" Penny muttered. The Heartless whined and started to shrink down before the roof above collapsed, crushing it underneath. Through the rubble, a heart began floating away.

"We did it!" Sora cheered. The others cheered as well. Just then, Sora's Keyblade began glowing again and it sucked in Sora. Sora soon found himself warped to another strange and bizarre world, seeing nothing but ancient ruins before him. He was in his full human form.

"Whoa. Where...Where am I?" Sora asked. He suddenly felt another presence with him. He turned and saw a wolf on a rock. It was a majestic and powerful white wolf, keeping a Keyblade on it's back. It wore a black jacket and the fur on it's tail was blue at the tip.

"So, we finally meet....Sora." it said. Sora looked around, trying to spot the voice.

"Are...Are you one of the ancient Keybladers?" Sora asked. The wolf nodded.

"You may call me Wulf. I am a Keyblader with the power of shape shifting." Wulf said. Sora was amazed, figuring this wolf appearance wasn't Wulf's actual appearance.

"Wulf, I need your help. The Dark Knight threatens you, the other ancient Keybladers....as well as all of the worlds. I....I need your help to stop him before his Heartless engulf the worlds." Sora said. He showed him Atlas' ring, Ven's wristband and Roxas' pendant.

"Yes. I have sensed the dark energy growing. It is troubling indeed. Very well Sora. I shall loan my strength to you. May you use it well in battle." Wulf said. Sora thanked Wulf before the light consumed him again. When he returned, he found himself, Donald, Goofy, Emil and Marta in their full human forms. They were all outside.

"Hmm? What...What happened?" Sora mumbled. Marta sighed.

"Good. He's awake." Marta said. Sora sat up and dusted himself off.

"You had us worried for a moment. I thought the fumes of the fire caused you to black out." Tenebrae said. Sora looked around, seeing fire fighters and their trucks dousing the fire.

"Where....Where's Bolt? Or Penny?" Sora asked. Kairi pointed behind her and he saw Penny holding Bolt while she was on her stretcher. Sora and the others followed Penny all the way to the hospital, where Bolt stayed with her in her room.

"We're so glad you're all right. The doctor even said you're going to make a full recovery." Emil said. Penny smiled.

"Thank you....all of you. Thank you....for helping Bolt." Penny said. Sora chuckled, saying it was nothing at all. The small dog hopped onto Penny's bed.

"I'm happy you're all right too Penny." Bolt said. Just then, he didn't count on Penny somehow understanding him. Penny asked Bolt if he just said something and he gasped.

"Wak! He talked?!" Donald squawked.

"Gawrsh! Sora! When that light from your Keyblade touched him, Bolt must've learned how to speak!" Goofy gasped. Sora couldn't believe it either. Penny petted Bolt's head.

"Heh. I....had a feeling....you understood me when we used....to talk with each other. I'm....I'm so glad you're safe." Penny said. Bolt looked away, kind of embarrassed. In Sora's head, he imagined seeing all of Bolt's battling capabilities. He then thought of the team, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Bolt for their help. But finally, he did.

"Bolt? Since you can talk, I...I need to ask you for a favor. Heartless, like the ones that attacked Penny, are threatening more people and....and we kind of need your help." Sora said. The others gasped.

"Sora? Are you sure you want to ask Bolt that? After all he's just been through?" Kairi asked.

"I know it sounds strange Kairi. But it just came to me." Sora whispered. Bolt glanced at Penny, hoping she would reject the idea. But what he saw was her smile.

"Bolt? You...You should help him." Penny muttered. Bolt gasped.

"What?!" the others gasped. Penny smiled.

"I'll....I'll be all right Bolt. Like....Like the doctor said, I'll...I'll recover. Besides, I....I think your new friends....need you too. A hero's work.....is never done." Penny said. Bolt couldn't believe it. He couldn't say a thing until he looked at Mittens and Rhino nearby.

"Don't worry kid. We'll look after her. Besides, I think these people, which I have NO idea how they turned into what they are, need help." Mittens said. Rhino agreed. Bolt chuckled and turned to Sora.

"Sora? I'll help." Bolt said. Sora chuckled and scratched Bolt's head.

"Then....welcome aboard Bolt." Sora said. Bolt gave off a happy bark and wagged his tail, making everyone else laugh. Sora led everyone back towards the Gummi Ship. But just as he did, he detected his Keyblade glowing. The mark on Bolt's fur started glowing and it revealed the Keyhole. Sora quickly locked it, firing a beam of light into the keyhole, sealing the keyhole of Bolt's world. As they boarded the ship, Bolt followed them aboard, entrigued by it's size. As it took off, Bolt hopped up to a window and looked down at the city as he left.

"Don't worry Bolt. You'll get to see Penny again. We promise." Kairi said, patting his head. Bolt smiled and decided to curl up for a nap. As they flew back, Sora looked around his neck. With Wulf's power now fused in him, he wore a necklace with a tuff of wolf fur on it. The Gummi Ship returned all the way to Radiant Garden safely, entering Cid's garage.

"Well, whaddya know? Look who's back." Cid chuckled. Sora waved to Cid.

"Hey Cid. You're sure in a better mood this time." Sora said. Cid sighed, thanking the fact that Ludwig was finally out of his hair. He was able to repair everything that Ludwig accidentally damaged. He then noticed Bolt.

"Uhhh....Sora? Who's the dog?" Cid asked.

"Who? Bolt? He's a new addition to our team." Sora said. They all left as Cid watched with a sigh.

"That team of his. It's SURE getting weird." Cid thought. Bolt looked around at the many sights of Radiant Garden, amazed by it's beauty.

"Wow. So, is this where you are from Sora?" Bolt asked. Sora looked back.

"Not really. My home is some place far away. But this is where our team operates from. I think it's time you met your fellow team members." Sora said. Tenebrae floated alongside Emil and Marta. He sniffed the air.

"Ah. I can sense it. Darkness is in the air. How delicious." Tenebrae said. Emil and Marta groaned, causing Tenebrae to eye them.

"What?" he asked.

"You know something Tenebrae? I'm just starting to think you're just plain creepy." Marta said. Tenebrae groaned.

"How rude." Tenebrae remarked. Everyone returned to the base, seeing everyone at leisure. Sora was completely unaware of the destruction that almost took place.

"We're back guys! And we brought a new friend!" Kairi called. Genis passed by and saw Bolt.

"Hey. Cool. You guys got another dog." Genis said. He scratched Bolt's head as Sora walked by. He saw Riku looking out a window. He spotted the feathers in his hair.

"Uhhh...Riku? What happened to you?" Sora asked. Riku asked if he meant the feathers, in which Sora nodded. Riku told him about discovering the ancient Keyblader of Radiant Garden.

"Wow. That was pretty neat. So we've got another one. Anything else happen?" Sora asked. Riku glanced out the window again, smirking.

"Nothing really." Riku said. He was looking in the direction of the Radiant Garden prison. Unfortunately, Doctor Doofenshmirtz was still accused for using Heartless to attack the city, unable to talk his way out.

"You...You know, this ain't half bad." the doctor remarked.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	29. Ch 29: Kairi's Turmoil

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 29: Kairi's Turmoil_**

Two days past after Sora ventured into Bolt's world and he was taking the time to practice using some of the skills he acquired by taking on Leon in a sort of sparring match.

"Okay Sora. Show me what you've got." Leon said. Sora nodded and he activated the power inside of Wulf's charm, changing him into a white furred wolf but wearing the same clothes and Keyblade.

"Hmm. This should be interesting." Leon said. Sora smirked and the two began clashing blades, exchanging blows back and forth. Soon, the two were locked in a stalemate until Sora broke away. He dashed around Leon before triggering Ven's charm, changing his attire to Ven's armor.

"Take this!" Sora shouted. Leon was surprised and brought his sword up in defense. As the two continued to battle, another was watching from afar. The figure was the Dark Knight himself.

"So, the boy has taken my advice and trains. I wouldn't expect anything more from the biggest annoyance of my plans." he said. Suddenly, the scene froze and Kuzco appeared once more.

"Hi there. Just checking up with all of you. I know I haven't been seen in a while, but this is actually a little congrats to....what has it been? Almost thirty chapters now? Well, that's something." Kuzco said. He spotted the knight and chuckled, plucking out his red marker.

"By the way, what's the deal with armor head over here? Heh heh. Watch this." Kuzco said. He quickly drew a big, cartoonish moustache on the knight's face and gave him a big afro.

"Heh heh! Ever see a knight looking like some fashion LOSER from the 70's?" Kuzco laughed. But just then, he felt the looming presence of something dark. He looked and saw the Dark Knight. Kuzco gulped.

"Oh. Hello there. Uhh....if you heard what I said before I...." Kuzco said. But suddenly, the knight grabbed his remote and crushed it in his palm. Kuzco screamed and ran away.

"Imbecile." the knight muttered before walking away. The scene started again and the knight left in a dark corridor. Down on the field, Sora was swinging both blades fast. But Leon was able to counter each of them. Sora jumped back and remembered Jumba's charm.

"Okay. Let's see what this does." Sora said. He activated the charm's summoning powers and something appeared in a poof of smoke. But what appeared was something shocking. He saw Angel, Experiment 624, sitting on the ground. Leon and Sora froze.

"Uhhh....okay. WHAT is that?" Sora asked. Inside, Kronk was busy in the kitchen as always. From afar, Emil watched by the door frame when Kronk saw him.

"Oh. Hi there Emil. What's shaking?" Kronk asked. Emil walked over as Kronk was fast at work.

"Well, I was just wondering what you've been doing Kronk. It's almost like we see you back here all the time now." Emil said. Kronk chuckled.

"Well, that's nothing new really. Now is it? To a chef, a kitchen always feels like their home." Kronk said. Emil chuckled.

"I see what you mean. But I've been thinking....how come you never ask any of us for help? You don't have to keep doing everything yourself." Emil asked. Kronk stopped and rested the spoon in the bowl.

"Really? Wow. Now that you mentioned it, I guess I have been doing a lot." Kronk said. Emil then asked if it would be all right if he helped out for this evening's dinner. Kronk laughed.

"Sure. I don't see why not. But we're gonna need a few things from the market. And....you can probably guess WHY." Kronk said, pointing to Stitch lying on the ground and scratching his belly.

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot." Emil said. Outside again, Sora and Leon were still sparring off. Angel's time wore off and Sora was back to wielding his one blade. From afar, Kairi watched.

"Wow. Sora, you're lucky. You have a lot of people to spar with. People who are all strong like you. But....look at me. I've hardly had anyone to spar with like that. Yuffie and most of the others are busy with committee matters and all Marta and Colette want to talk about is girl stuff half the time." Kairi thought. She sighed and looked at herself.

"And on top of it, you say we can training in as well. But you're always changing opponents, taking on guys like Leon and the others." Kairi thought. She sighed.

"What good am I if I never get any training? I'll never get to be like you or Riku at this rate." Kairi thought. She then walked away, not noticing Sora noticed her. Sora asked Leon if they could take a break for a moment. Leon saw Kairi walking off.

"Let me guess. Your friend?" Leon asked. Sora nodded, thanking Leon for the sparring time.

"Okay. No problem." Leon said. Sora followed after Kairi as Leon walked away himself. Down in town, later on that day, Emil and Kronk were out gathering food when they passed by Scrooge's new stand.

"Hey there Mr. Scrooge. How've you been?" Emil asked. Scrooge chuckled.

"Ah, Emil my boy. It's so good to see you again. Thank you again for the help you gave me yesterday with all those boxes." Scrooge said. Emil smiled.

"Well, it wasn't that bad. I mean..." Emil said. Suddenly, he felt like someone's big hand was on his shoulder.

"I see you've been busy, right Emil?" a voice said. Emil looked back and saw a tall man wearing a black tuxedo and he had long blue hair. Emil gasped, recognizing the face as none other than Regal Bryant.

"Regal! It's....It's really you!" Emil exclamied. Regal smiled.

"Good to see you too Emil." Regal said. Regal took a glance at Kronk, both surprised to see they were nearly equal in height.

"Howdy there. Just who might you be big fella?" Kronk asked. Regal chuckled and shook Kronk's hand.

"My name is Regal Bryant, president of the Lezeareno Company. I'm also a good friend of Emil, given our time traveling together." Regal said. Emil asked Regal how he managed to escape their world and Regal remarked that he was lucky to escape. He found his way here, through sheer will to see his friends again.

"Wow. You...You really made it all the way here? All by yourself?!" Emil gasped. Regal paused for a moment.

"Well, not entirely. Lloyd was able to help me out part of the way. I guess some thanks can be given to him for helping me escape." Regal said. Emil gasped.

"Wait a second. Lloyd? He's alive?" Emil asked.

"I hope so. The last time I saw him was after he let me continue off by myself, leaving him against a lot of those evil black creatures." Regal said. Emil figured Regal should be caught up to speed about what's been happening and began to tell him everything.

"I see. So these strange creatures are really Heartless, people that have lost their hearts to darkness. Hmm. And also, you say that you've found Marta, Colette, Tenebrae, Zelos, Raine and Genis so far? That's good." Regal said. Emil nodded in agreement.

"So, that leaves us worrying about Lloyd, Sheena and Presea. But that's only if they managed to escape." Regal said. Emil was sure they survived. Regal hoped so as well before asking Emil what he was doing.

"Oh. Us? We were just doing a little grocery hunting. Say, would you like to come back to where our home is and join us?" Kronk asked. Regal chuckled.

"I would be honored. In fact, I'm a bit of a chef myself. I wouldn't mind at all if you need my help." Regal said. Emil thanked Regal as he joined them. Meanwhile, Kairi sat alone on a wall towards the outskirts of the city. She was having one of Scrooge's ice cream bars when Sora approached.

"Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi glanced back at Sora as he climbed up beside her.

"Oh. Hi Sora. Sorry I wasn't around much today. I've been thinking lately." Kairi said. Sora looked out at the sun as it was starting to set.

"Well, I saw you walking off by yourself earlier. And I wanted to know what was wrong. You seemed sad." Sora said. Kairi sniffled a bit.

"Sora? Tell me the truth. Do you think I'm weak?" Kairi asked. Sora stuttered, asking why she even thought that. Kairi sighed.

"In the adventures we've had together, where I fought alongside you and the others, all I've been doing is getting in the way or making a fool of myself." Kairi said. Sora rested his hand on her shoulder.

"No one thinks that Kairi. Everyone in this team is of equal importance and we all strive to help each other, make each other stronger when we need it most." Sora said. Kairi looked away.

"But....you've had more time. You've practiced more than me. I've asked the others for chances to train, I really have. But they're either busy or they just don't want to." Kairi said. Sora asked for some examples and Kairi mentioned Rinoa and Paine being busy at the committee center and Marta wanting to talk more about their love lives than training.

"Oh. Well...." Sora said, searching for the right words. Kairi glanced at Sora.

"And when I want to ask you, you say you will. But then, I find you sparring with someone else." Kairi said. Sora was speechless as Kairi looked ready to cry.

"I mean, if I'm really not much help, you can tell me to my face." Kairi said. She started to cry a little until Sora moved closer to her.

"Kairi, I am telling you this right now. And this is the honest truth. Ever since Michael asked us to form a team, I thought only of everyone's safety and feelings. We're all in this together and it's going to take all of our strength if we want to defeat the Dark Knight. And....for that, I need you...." Sora said. Kairi gasped.

"Yeah. To tell the truth, I'm...I'm a little scared when you're not with me. You saved me after I became a Heartless, you brought me back....you make me glad that....I'm your friend." Sora said. Kairi couldn't believe what she heard. But hearing it made her want to cry more.

"So, don't ever think that you're a nuisance to anyone. You understand Kairi? You're important, no more important than anyone else on the team. Not Donald, Goofy, Riku....or me." Sora said. Kairi started to shed tears as she leaned against Sora.

"Thank you....Sora." she whispered. Sora smiled and rested his arm around her shoulders. They watched as the sun began to set. But on a rooftop from far away, the Dark Knight spied them.

"He is right girl. Do not think of yourself as a nuisance. You're more VALUABLE than you might realize." he sneered. Without a sound, he vanished once again. Sora and Kairi returned to the base, amazed alongside the others to see Regal.

"Regal! Hey! I didn't know you were here." Genis said. Regal smiled.

"Well, I had a feeling we would see each other again Genis. I never stopped believing." Regal said. Raine smiled.

"And it looks like you were right. Now we have to make sure our other friends are all right as well." Raine added. Zelos chuckled.

"If you ask me, I betcha Lloyd is doing JUST fine. I mean, come on. He's my best bud. No way would he let a bunch of Heartless slow him down." Zelos said. Genis chuckled.

"Yeah. You're right. Just wonder what he's gonna say when we tell him you almost got your arms broken off by Tifa! A girl!" Genis laughed. Zelos groaned.

"Hey! That woman was one of the most psychotic nut cases I ever met. All I did was try and get to know her a little bit and she goes totally crazy." Zelos complained. Raine sighed.

"Wait. Does that mean Tifa has nuts for brains?" Colette asked. Emil nervously chuckled and so did Marta.

"She does NOT realize how irrelevant that sounds, does she?" Tenebrae asked. Sora chuckled, probably thinking the same thing.

"Well, come on folks. Time to eat." Kronk said as he rang the dinner bell. Everyone gathered at the table and saw the work Emil, Kronk and Regal put in.

"Wow Emil. I've got to say. Your food looks great." Kairi said. Emil chuckled while blushing.

"You...You think so? It's....nothing special." Emil said. Lilo scoffed.

"Are you kidding?! Look at this pumpkin. You made it into a turtle!" Lilo shouted. Raine also commented that he made a smiling face in the spaghetti and meatball platter.

"Well, I like to have fun when I do stuff like that. It's just who I am." Emil said. Goofy chuckled.

"Gawrsh Emil, this really looks delicious." Goofy said. Donald agreed, with the others seeing that he was drooling a bit also. Bolt, Dug and Pluto sat close to the table and were ready to eat as well.

"Okay then! Let's eat!" Sora shouted. Just then, Stitch leaped for the table and eyed everything. But just before he could sink his teeth into anything, Kronk rushed over and grabbed Stitch.

"Oh no! You are NOT ruining anything this time! Now sit!" Kronk shouted. He forced Stitch into a seat next to Lilo. Stitch groaned and crossed his arms. Lilo chuckled.

"Don't worry Stitch. Here. I'll feed you." Lilo said. Stitch looked away.

"Naga bo chifa." Stitch muttered. Everyone glanced at each other and were soon laughing, even Stitch who joined in later.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	30. Ch 30: Land of the Dragons

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 30: Land of the Dragons_**

A few days earlier, prior to the chaos in Radiant Garden involving Doofenshmirtz, we turn our attention to a large space colony. Inside, the entire colony was built like a prison. And visiting this prison is the Dark Knight himself alongside a powerful appearing man.

"Everyone present and accounted for sir. Not a single jail break yet." the man smirked. The knight glanced at all of the prisoners, most chained to a wall. He stopped at one particular cell.

"And how is little Miss Stuck-Up?" the knight asked.

"Oh. Her? Well, this little squirt still won't talk. I don't get why though. She's been able to withstand all of the torture and trials we put her through. And after all that, she still WON'T talk." he said. The knight huffed.

"Don't worry. She'll break eventually. With what I have plans, her weak little heart won't stand the darkness for much longer." he said. The two eventually walked off, leaving the cell. However, in the shadows of the cell, a small girl with two pink pig tails glanced around. By her feet was a small square box.

"Okay. He's gone. Go." she whispered. Suddenly, the box started to come alive and it made clicking and whirring sounds. The "box" was none other than WALL-E.

"Wall-E." the robot said. He looked up at the girl and she told him to get going. WALL-E approached the girl's leg and climbed up. Without warning, the girl flung WALL-E to the glass panel on the prison door. WALL-E shattered the glass and tumbled a bit before opening up again.

"Friend...." it said before racing off. The glass shattering caught the ears of the knight and he came back to check. He saw the girl pretending to be asleep.

"I see someone is causing a little ruckus. Cage! I want you to remind our friend what happens when she does damage to public property." the knight said. Cage, the warden of the prison and the man who was with the knight, chuckled and cracked his knuckles.

"With pleasure." he sneered. As the door opened, the girl looked away through the corner of her eye.

"Go.....find someone. Anyone at all....." she muttered as Cage took her away. As the knight dealt with the prisoner, WALL-E was scurrying away as fast as he could. He reached all the way outside before he found a nearby rocket. He curiously activated it, sending him rocketing away and screaming. We now change to current day Radiant Garden. Sora was out visiting Cid at the committee center.

"Hey Cid. I'm here." Sora said. Cid, sitting at his computer, turned and waved.

"Thanks for coming Sora. I've got something to show you." Cid said. As Sora asked what, Cid picked up a metal box and set it on the nearby table. It was actually WALL-E's body, but he seemed to have endured the world's atmosphere and crashed.

"It's this. Leon found this thing out by the Bailey early last night. Thing made one heck of a boom too. We could hear it all the way here." Cid said.

"I never heard anything." Sora said. Cid chuckled.

"Well, if ya did, we would probably have sent YOU out to get it instead. Weirdest thing is I can't seem to get this open." Cid said. Sora looked on at WALL-E's motionless body.

"What IS it?" Sora asked.

"Probably some kind of robot. A robot that wants to keep something in or is keeping it's big yap shut." Cid said. Just then, a beeping sound went off at Cid's computer. Both rushed back over and saw something brought up on the monitor. It appeared to be a world, shaped like a Chinese palace.

"Hey! That's Mulan!" Sora gasped. Cid typed away, bringing up a screen saying "HEARTLESS ACTIVITY DETECTED" in red letters.

"Well, guess your friend needs a little help. Better get down there pronto. I'll see what I can do about getting old tin can there talking." Cid said. Sora nodded and rushed back to the base. When he returned, Sora brought Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Raine, Genis and Bolt with him.

"This your team this time? All right. Get going then. The ship's all ready." Cid said. Sora nodded and everyone headed for the hangar with Cid reminding them to NOT let Goofy pilot the ship anymore.

"Gawrsh, I didn't do anything THAT bad. Did I?" Goofy asked. Cid sighed.

"Just get out there already." Cid said. Goofy nodded and hurried to catch up to his friends. As the ship took off, Cid set his sight on the sealed WALL-E.

"Now then, time to get to work on you." Cid said. From afar, Leon watched the Gummi Ship leave as he and Cloud were patrolling the town. The Gummi Ship soon took off out of the world's skies and flew through space.

"Wow. This is really cool. We finally get to see outside of the town. Finally. I felt like I was trapped there or something." Genis sighed. Sora chuckled.

"Well Genis, you might like where we're going. We're going to see a friend of ours. Her name is Mulan." Sora said. Kairi asked what kind of person Mulan is.

"She's really nice Kairi. She's a very strong willed kind of person, we fought together to protect her land from Shan-Yu not too long ago." Sora said. Kairi looked out the front visor of the ship.

"Hmm. Maybe...." Kairi thought. As the ship flew quietly, Raine brought along a book and was reading it by the window.

"Raine? What'cha reading?" Genis asked.

"It's a book I brought along with me from Radiant Garden. It's all about Chinese history. To be honest, I can't wait to see this new world." Raine said. When Genis asked why, he saw a "twinkle" in Raine's eyes.

"What else? I'm sure there are bound to be glorious and magnificent ruins waiting for us." Raine said with glee. Genis sighed.

"OF COURSE Raine. Of course." Genis sighed, shaking his head. Raine held her book tight with hearts popping around her head. Sora looked back and asked what was wrong.

"Nothing. My sister just went into "Ruin Mode" again. Just ignore her and she should snap out of it." Genis said. Kairi nervously chuckled when an alarm went off.

"What the?" Bolt gasped.

"It's the sensors! We've got company!" Goofy called. Sora asked someone to look out the back. Genis took a peek and there were Heartless ships approaching. Raine glanced out as well.

"Watch out Sora! I think the Heartless finally caught up with us." Raine said. Sora nodded and readied himself to attack. The Gummi Ship's weapons came online and fired back. Soon, bullets were flying all over the wide open space. A lucky strike hit the ship, shaking it up.

"Wak! We're hit!" Donald squawked. Sora looked up ahead and there was Mulan's world.

"Almost there! Hang on!" Sora shouted. Raine took hold of her sceptre and unleashed a Divine Spear arte directly at the ships behind them, followed by Genis countering with Meteor Storm, finishing them off.

"Hooray! We're gonna make it!" Goofy cheered. Kairi sighed as the ship started heading into orbit. Down below, Mulan, Li Shang and his three men, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po, were seen guarding a carrage passing by out of town.

"All right men. Now we just need to make sure this carriage makes it all the way to it's destination. Can I count on you?" Li shouted. Yao and the others gave a salute, making Mulan chuckle. On top of the carriage, a young woman dressed in a ninja attire with a big purple ponytail watched the sky. Suddenly, she saw the faint image of Sora's ship.

"Uhhh...does this mission include worrying about space ships?" she asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Mulan asked. The girl pointed towards the sky and Mulan looked up. Li couldn't recognize the ship and neither did Mulan. The Gummi Ship landed a few feet from them and out stepped Sora.

"Mulan! Hey!" Sora called. Mulan smiled.

"Shang! It's Sora." Mulan called. Li and the others chuckled and waved.

"Yo! How ya doing kid?" Yao shouted. Sora waved as everyone else stepped out. Raine noticed the woman atop the carriage, identifying her as Sheena.

"Wait. It...It can't be." Raine gasped.

"Sheena?! Is that you?!" Genis exclaimed. Sheena looked down at the others and cheered.

"Hey! Raine! Genis!" Sheena called. She hopped down and rushed over to greet them.

"It's so great to see you guys! Wow. I...I never really thought you guys had survived all that back home!" Sheena shouted. Raine nodded.

"We thought the same thing about you Sheena. We're really glad to see you too. Now all we have to do is find Presea and Lloyd." Genis chuckled.

"Wait. Just them? What about the...? Oh. Don't tell me everyone else is all right too?!" Sheena asked. Raine and Genis both nodded, making Sheena extremely happy.

"That's so amazing. I really can't believe you guys are all okay. By the way, who are your new friends?" Sheena asked. Sora approached Sheena.

"Hi. I'm Sora and this is Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Bolt. We're all best friends, out there looking to help save the worlds from Heartless and stuff like that." Sora explained. As he talked, Kairi took a look at Mulan and she could see the confident look in her eyes.

"Wow." Kairi muttered. Mulan looked on as Kairi approached.

"Hi. You must be Mulan. My name is Kairi. I'm one of Sora's friends. He told me so much about you." Kairi said. Mulan chuckled and hopped off her horse. She shook Kairi's hand.

"Nice to meet you. It's a pleasure to meet one of Sora's friends too." Mulan said. Goofy spied the carriage and asked what was going on.

"We're on a mission to bring the three daughters of the Chinese Emperor to Qui Gong. Our emperor is trying to form an alliance between the lands by arranged marriage between the princesses and three princes of Qui Gong." Li explained. Kairi gasped.

"Wait. Did you say arranged marriage?" Kairi asked. Sora crossed his arms.

"Hey. Mind if we tag along? We heard about Heartless activity around here and came to help out." Sora asked. Mulan glanced at Shang and he shrugged.

"Of course. The more help would be appreciated." Mulan said. Raine thanked them and everyone was soon on their way again. But on a nearby cliff, a white cloaked figure watched. It appeared to be another of the Dark Knight's Lifeless minions. However, he removed his hood to look down at them and the face was revealed to be Xaldin.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	31. Ch 31: Quarrel Among Friends

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 31: Quarrel Among Friends_**

Sora and his friends joined Mulan and her party in escorting the princesses toward Qui Gong. Raine sat inside with the princesses to watch them while most of the others walked outside. Sora and Genis stayed closest to the carriage.

"So, what's been happening Sora? What brings you around here?" Mulan asked.

"Well, you know. The Heartless are acting up again." Sora said. Bolt marched alongside Mulan's horse, keeping his nose open for any sign of trouble. Just then, Sora saw Mushu popping out of Mulan's bag.

"Huh? What the? Hey hey! Whaddya know?! If it ain't Sora and the crew! Man! How you boys be trip...?" Mushu called before Mulan stuffed him back in. Sora looked at Li, who didn't seem to notice anything.

"Mushu....keep it down in there. You want Li to hear you?" Mulan whispered. The little dragon peeked out of the bag again.

"Oh. Believe me Mulan. I'm gonna make sure the "high and mighty" general hears me." Mushu snickered. Sora watched on as Mushu definitely seemed to be scheming of something. Meanwhile, in Radiant Garden, Cid was still trying to crack open WALL-E.

"Man. This is one stubborn robot. Come on you. Open!" Cid groaned. A knock was heard at the door.

"Hmm? That you Leon? The door's open." Cid called. But when the door opened, Cid was shocked to see it wasn't Leon. It was Ludwig.

"Gah! What are you doing back here you quack?!" Cid groaned. Ludwig chuckled.

"Well, ain't that a fine "howdy do" to an old pal, eh? The king told me you found yourself some kind of spacy gizmo. So, I come down to help." Ludwig said. Cid groaned.

"Are you kidding? Last time you were here, you nearly fried my computer!" Cid shouted. At the door, Cid saw Mickey.

"Gee. Sorry for coming in like this Cid. But I had to come and see it myself. Leon told me about it not too long ago." Mickey said. Everyone gathered by the table and glanced at WALL-E.

"Whoo boy. I have never seen anything like.....what IS this anyhow?" Ludwig asked.

"Don't really know. Not even Merlin knew when I showed it to him." Cid said. Ludwig figured now would be a good time to start tinkering. Cid warned him not to do anything hasty.

"Trust me Cid. Since when have I done anything "hasty?" Ludwig asked. Cid groaned, not wanting to answer. Switching back to Sora, Raine was getting to know the princesses.

"So, you three are going to be married so you can bring peace between your lands?" Raine asked. Mei, the middle aged sister, nodded. Raine could see some kind of uneasiness on Mei's face.

"What's the matter? Do you not want to go through with this?" Raine asked. Su glanced at her sister's face.

"Oh! I think I know what's wrong with HER! Mei? You're thinking about that soldier again?" Su asked. Ting-Ting scoffed.

"You mean the little gorilla with the bad eye?" Ting-Ting asked. Mei glared at her sister angrily.

"You might say that. But to me, he's a soft, cuddly little panda bear." Mei said with a smile. Raine asked who she meant and she described Yao. Raine groaned.

"Well, I'm happy to hear that. But...I don't think he quite looked like a "panda bear" to me." Raine chuckled. The carriage and it's guardians continued down the road until stopping for rest. Everyone got the chance to relax and Sora explained everything to Mulan. He mentioned the Dark Knight and the Heartless.

"Really? That's what has been going on?" Mulan asked. Sora nodded, asking if she would consider joining the team for the time being. Mulan glanced back at Li, resting beneath a tree.

"I would Sora. But not too long ago, Li just proposed to me." Mulan mentioned. Kairi gasped while Sora's eyes seemed a little surprised.

"Pro....proposed? But....doesn't that mean...?" Sora stuttered. Kairi laughed and hugged Mulan.

"That means you're getting married! Right?" Kairi asked. Mulan nodded and asked Sora that he would have good luck in their mission. Sora looked away.

"Sure. Okay Mulan. No problem. Don't worry. We'll make sure we help you get the princesses to Qui Gong." Sora said. But just hearing that again made Kairi's smile vanish.

"Oh yeah. The arranged marriage. I...I really don't see why..." Kairi asked before Mulan interrupted.

"Yes. I know. That's what I felt too. But the Emperor asked us to stick with the mission. If this marriage is a success, we can bring about a sign of peace between our two lands." Mulan said. Sora crossed his arms.

"Well, I don't see what's wrong with bringing a little peace between two places, right?" Sora asked. Kairi gasped.

"Sora! I thought you would see this differently. Can't you see? Look." Kairi said. She pointed to Mei, sitting with Yao before Ting-Ting arrived and Su picking fruit with Chien-Po. But Sora said nothing.

"Well, we've got a mission Kairi. If the emperor wants it that way, we have to." Sora said. Kairi sighed. From afar, Donald and Goofy looked on worried.

"Gawrsh. What's wrong with Sora?" Goofy asked. Donald scratched his head.

"I don't know." he replied. Later on, as everyone else was working, Kairi talked with Sora beneath a tree.

"Sora. What is wrong with you? Don't you think there's another way of doing this?" Kairi asked. Sora just shrugged.

"I don't see what's wrong with that. Besides, we've got a mission ourselves. And we've been sticking with it." Sora said. Kairi groaned.

"What's wrong? The princesses obviously don't want to do this, especially Mei. I mean, when I got the chance to meet her, I saw doubt in her eyes." Kairi said. Sora sighed.

"Wait a second. Are you only acting this way because Mulan didn't want to join the team?" Kairi asked. Sora looked at her and then away.

"No. Of course not." Sora said. Kairi sighed.

"I think you are. You sound like a stuck up kid right now." Kairi said. Sora huffed.

"I am not." Sora said. Kairi sighed and said she would watch the carriage. Sora said nothing, making Kairi even more worried. Donald and Goofy walked over.

"Sora? What's wrong? Is something bugging you?" Donald asked.

"You can tell us Sora. We're your best pals, aren't we?" Goofy asked. Kairi looked back, seeing Sora talking a bit to Donald and Goofy.

"Great. Now he only wants to talk with Donald and Goofy? What about me?" Kairi thought. Back in Radiant Garden, Cid was completely out of options.

"This thing is never going to open. It's too complicated." Cid groaned. Just then, Ludwig pointed something out. He noticed something atop WALL-E's chest was able to be opened. When he opened it, he noticed it appeared to be a solar battery panel.

"Hmm. What's that? Is that really one of those solar panels?" Mickey asked. Ludwig chuckled.

"No wonder our little friend won't talk. He's out of juice." Ludwig chuckled. He picked up WALL-E and set him outside where the sun was. Within an hour, WALL-E was fully recharged and woke up. He looked at Cid, Mickey and Ludwig glaring at him.

"So, what's your name little fella?" Cid asked. WALL-E looked around before saying his name.

"Wally, huh?" Mickey asked. WALL-E just remembered something and reached for something inside of his compartment, where he was programmed to make garbage cubes, and he pulled out a small, DVD sized disc. Cid plucked it from the robot's hands.

"What the heck is this?" Cid asked.

"Good question. Maybe it's a movie. Oh! I'll go make de popcorn!" Ludwig exclaimed. Mickey chuckled, saying that probably wasn't it.

"Maybe it's some kind of computer thing. Hey, your highness, can you do me a favor and run this over to Leon? If I'm right, he and Aerith should be at Ansem's Study again. Mickey nodded, taking the disc and heading out. During that hour it took for WALL-E to recharge, it was already nightfall in Mulan's world. Kairi was pacing outside, a bit steamed at Sora.

"I can't believe Sora recently. First he starts acting immature just because Mulan couldn't help, then he starts getting all serious about the mission without wondering about the princesses of their feelings and now he doesn't talk to me at all." Kairi groaned. Meanwhile, out by a lake side, Sora was watching Mushu.

"All right Mushu. What are you doing?" Sora asked. Mushu gasped.

"Oh! Sora! Hey there pal. Didn't see ya there." Mushu chuckled. Sora narrowed his eyes, remembering Mushu's lie from the last time they met.

"Oh boy. I know that look. You still remember me tricking you, don't ya?" Mushu asked. Sora nodded, asking what Mushu was doing this time.

"Heh heh. Yeah, see, that's the thing. After Mulan saved China from that Shan-Yu fella, I finally got the chance to get my title back as "family guardian" with the rest of those stuck up snobs." Mushu explained "But right as I found out my little Mulan was getting married, it meant HIS family guardians would be taking over MY job!" Sora sighed.

"And what's wrong with that? I've seen what you've been doing. Good thing Genis and I were there to stop you." Sora asked. Mushu chuckled, asking for forgiveness. Just then, Kairi noticed Sora.

"Sora! What are you doing? I thought you were watching the princesses! You said you would!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora groaned.

"Don't worry Kairi. They're fine. Goofy and Donald are watching them for me." Sora said. Kairi scoffed.

"So NOW you're slacking off. Seriously Sora, what is WRONG with you lately? Ever since Mulan said she couldn't help, you've been maturing less and less with each second." Kairi asked. Sora sighed.

"It's nothing you should worry about Kairi. Don't worry about me. You really should be worrying about yourself." Sora said. Kairi groaned and turned away, before both heard the sound of Donald and Goofy yelling from shock.

"Donald? Goofy?!" Sora exclaimed. Everyone rushed back towards the princess' tent to see it was ransacked!

"Whoa! Where did....Where did they go?!" Genis exclaimed. Kairi groaned and glared at Sora.

"This is your fault Sora!" Kairi shouted. Sora scoffed.

"Me?! How is this my fault?!" Sora shouted. Kairi went on about that he said he would watch them and how putting Donald and Goofy in his place was a bad mistake.

"Please you two, calm down. Getting mad at each other won't save the princesses." Raine said. But Sora and Kairi were too annoyed with each other to listen to Raine.

"Come on you two. Cut it out." Bolt said. But again, Sora and Kairi didn't pay attention.

"You know something Kairi? Maybe I should've taken Seifer or Leon with me instead. I thought that if you met Mulan, she could help you get stronger. But now I see that it was a bad idea to consider!" Sora shouted. Kairi gasped, as tears came to her eyes.

"You....You......You JERK!" Kairi shouted before running off crying. Sora gasped, realizing what he just said.

"Kairi! Wait! I...I didn't mean...!" Sora exclaimed. But Kairi kept running, leaving Sora completely heart broken.

"No.....what have I done?" Sora thought. Back in Radiant Garden, Mickey arrived at Ansem's Study. He found Aerith and Leon at the computer with the Gullwings.

"What's that?" Leon asked.

"It's something we discovered with that strange robot you guys found last night." Mickey said, handing Aerith the disc. Aerith figured it must be something important and put into the disc drive. The computer loaded it onto the screen and as they watched on, everyone gasped.

"This....This is an S.O.S." Leon said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	32. Ch 32: Healing Two Broken Hearts

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 32: Healing Two Broken Hearts_**

Mickey, Aerith and Leon watched the disc again, seeing the pig tailed girl's face in a dark cell. The girl's face had two light blue eyes, pink hair with red bands and she was wearing two giant cuffs around her arms. The girl was Presea Combatir.

"Whoever gets this, I really need your help. My world was recently overtaken by Heartless and their leader has captured me. My friends tried to save me, but it was no good." she said. Leon watched carefully.

"Where is this? Who is that?" Leon thought.

"If you are wondering, my name is Presea Combatir. Please, if you know anyone by the name of Lloyd or Colette, you have to tell them about this message. I'm currently being held in a prison runned by the Heartless and...." Presea said. But suddenly, she looked back when she heard the sound of something coming.

"Uh oh. I have to end this short. Please, I need your help....whoever you are...." Presea said before hanging up abruptly. The disc ejected out from the computer and Leon picked it up.

"What should we do? I think she needs our help." Aerith said. Leon nodded.

"Aerith, go tell Colette about this. Your highness? See if you can ask Cid to trace this girl's S.O.S. to wherever it came from." Leon said. Mickey nodded and took the disc.

"I'm going to head back into town and see if I can't alert the rest of Sora's team." Leon added. The Gullwings followed Aerith as Mickey raced back for town. As everyone rushed off with the news, we change back to the prison where Presea is. Close towards the inside of the prison walls, a battle was taking place between two swordsmen. Both wore black cloaks, but one fought with twin blades while the other battled with a long sword and he had a black wing coming from his back. The shorter one jumped back.

"Enough of this! Tell me where she is! Where's Presea?!" he shouted. He lunged for the other and their blades met, clashing in an instant. The other huffed, in a more deep toned voice.

"Why should I tell you....when you'll be dead soon enough? I thought I saw the last of you when Iselia was overrun by Heartless." he said. The taller swordsmen forced the other away and he skidded across the ground. The hood on his cloak flopped back, revealing the face of Lloyd Irving.

"Not a chance! If my friends are in trouble, I never stop trying to help them! I don't know what became of everyone else. But I DO know that Presea is here....and she needs my help. I'm only going to say this one more time. Let her go!" Lloyd shouted. Lloyd's opponent pulled back his hood and long silver hair flowed out. Lloyd's opponent was none other than Sephiroth.

"And I'll say this again. Give up. Because how can you save your friend....when you will be dead?" Sephiroth asked. Lloyd groaned and clenched his swords tightly.

"Fine! Then I'll take her back by force!" Lloyd shouted. He and Sephiroth charged for one another and clashed blades, as the scene changes back to Sora in Mulan's world. Sora sat alone, thinking about what he did.

"I can't believe it. I....I'm such a idiot." Sora groaned. Donald and Goofy wanted to help, but they couldn't find the courage to talk to Sora like that. Luckily, Sheena came by and saw him.

"Sora? Come on. Snap out of it. Don't think it's over just like that. I mean, come on." Sheena said. But Sora didn't reply, making Sheena a tad more worried.

"Wow. He's just like Emil, really getting down about something. Poor kid." Sheena thought. She then walked away, saying no more to Sora. Sora only continued to sulk more before sensing something. Almost as if he was imagining it, he saw the faint image of Roxas sitting in front of him. He could see Roxas staring at him angrily.

"Come on Sora. Get up. You have to go after the princesses. Stop being such a slump right now." Roxas said. Sora stared directly at Roxas' face.

"But Roxas, I...I can't help thinking that I've broken Kairi's heart. And after everything I did, she must hate me by now." Sora groaned. Roxas groaned and grabbed Sora's shirt.

"Is this the REAL Sora talking? Or is this the COWARD Sora?" Roxas shouted "You were the one who beat me when we fought. After that, I was proud to be your Nobody. But looking at you now, I'm starting to regret it." Sora gasped.

"Roxas...." Sora muttered. Sora felt like he was starting to come out of it. He was going to say something to Roxas before a light suddenly surrounded him. He felt it as the same feeling he had when Michael revealed the truth about the Awakening to him. He felt himself going back through time and when he stopped, he was back on Destiny Islands.

"What the? I'm....I'm home?" Sora thought. Suddenly, he heard something familiar and looked back. Behind him, he saw himself and Kairi before they left Destiny Islands. Both were sitting on the dock, looking out at the sun.

"Well...hmm." Kairi muttered. Younger Sora glanced at her.

"You okay?" he asked. Sora looked on, watching the two of them.

"Sora! Let's take the raft and go! Just the two of us!" Kairi exclaimed. Younger Sora was completely shocked, before hearing Kairi laugh.

"Just kidding!" Kairi giggled. Sora chuckled, almost remembering exactly the same words he said to her that day.

"What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed Kairi." both Sora's chuckled. Sora watched on until he heard Kairi say "Sora? Don't ever change." Sora quickly remembered those exact words.

"Kairi....I...I have to do something." Sora thought. He had a feeling this was Michael's doings and told him that it worked, hearing Michael chuckle. Soon, Sora was brought back to Mulan's world. He stood up again, with Roxas still looking on.

"Thanks Roxas. Don't worry. I AM going to do something." Sora said. Roxas smiled.

"That's the Sora I know. Make that, that's the Sora WE know." Roxas said before vanishing. Sora, with a new determination, took his Keyblade and went to find Li. Meanwhile, farther up the road, Xaldin was standing with his Heartless as they surrounded the princesses.

"What...What's the meaning of this? What are you going to do with us?" Ting-Ting asked. Su shuddered, saying she was scared.

"Don't worry. If you play nice, maybe you won't die." Xaldin said. Mei said she wasn't going to do anything he said, knowing Yao would come and rescue her.

"It doesn't matter to me if you listen or not. My plan has already ensured that nothing can go wrong." Xaldin said "I was just over in Qui Gong saying the royal daughters of the Chinese Emperor have had an "unfortunate" accident and couldn't make it." Just then, he could sense Sora was behind him and with him was Li, Yao, Ling and Chien-Po.

"Oh really? WHAT "accident" buddy?" Sora asked. Xaldin huffed and turned around, revealing his face. Sora gasped.

"No! It can't be! You're....Xaldin! Of Organization XIII!" Sora exclaimed. Xaldin chuckled.

"Hello Sora. Good to see you too." Xaldin said. In a flash, he summoned his lances and they gathered around him as the Heartless drew near. The five warriors drew their blades.

"Come on men! We have to save those princesses!" Li shouted. Everyone agreed and charged into battle. The next morning came and everyone was still back at the campsite, wondering about what to do. The one taking it the most was Kairi. She didn't know what to do about Sora.

"Sora....I wish I knew what was going on. Why are you acting this way?" Kairi thought. Just then, Genis began pointing out the obvious again.

"Uhh...guys? Has anyone seen Sora, the general or those other guys?" Genis asked.

"What? Shang isn't here? I thought we were all here." Mulan said. From afar, Mushu chuckled.

"I knew it. I just KNEW it. Pretty boy didn't wanna stick around, so no marriage for Mulan and I get to keep my pedestal." Mushu grinned before seeing Donald.

"Oh. I was speaking out loud, wasn't I?" Mushu asked before Donald grabbed him. Everyone watched Donald bring Mushu to Mulan.

"Hey! Yo! Watch the tail feather butt! Or I'll roast your rump! Don't think I won't now!" Mushu exclaimed. Donald dropped Mushu flat on the ground and demand that he tell Mulan the truth.

"Oh man. Fine. Mulan? I hate to say this....but I MIGHT have had something to do with that bad luck your boyfriend was...." Mushu said. But just then, they heard someone calling Mulan's name. They looked ahead and saw Yao, Ling and Chien-Po lingering back, supporting each other.

"It's General Shang's men. What happened to them?" Raine asked. Everyone rushed over as the boys finally collapsed.

"Hey! You guys okay? What happened?" Sheena asked. Yao groaned.

"It's.....General Shang and.....the kid with the weird blade. They're...." Yao moaned. Kairi looked on, hoping she wasn't about to hear what she thought.

"It was....It was scary. Last night, we tried.....to rescue the princesses with the general and Sora. Though...Though we managed to escape with the princesses...." Ling continued. But just then, everyone saw Su, Mai and Ting-Ting approaching as well.

"Hey! The princesses! They're okay!" Genis exclaimed. But all three seemed saddened about something.

"Your highness? What's wrong?" Mulan asked.

"When the men came to rescue us, Sora and Shang.....they didn't return with us." Ting-Ting said. Kairi gasped, tears flooding her eyes.

"No. It can't be. Where....Then where's Sora?!" Kairi exclaimed. Mai looked away.

"That's....the thing Kairi. Sora and Shang.....they're dead." Mai said. Kairi gasped, collapsing to her knees. Raine asked what exactly happened and Su described the scene. Sora and Shang were fighting Xaldin and the Heartless while Yao and the others made off with the girls. Sora and Shang chased Xaldin all the way to the bridge far up the path and Xaldin, using a powerful gust of wind, sent both Sora and Shang falling off the edge and down towards the pit. Kairi began crying.

"No! It can't be! He can't be dead! No! No! I won't! Sora!" Kairi cried. She seemed to be literally falling apart at the seams, crying her eyes out and banging the ground. Raine came over and kneeled down.

"Kairi...I..." Raine muttered before Kairi hugged her tightly.

"Raine! Sora...he....." Kairi cried. Raine gently patted Kairi's back as her crying continued. Back in Radiant Garden, Colette and the others heard the news about Presea.

"What? Presea's been captured?! This is terrible. We've got to go help her!" Colette exclaimed. Zelos stopped Colette.

"Hold on Colette. We don't even know where Presea is. Do we?" Marta asked. Aerith explained that Cid was tracing Presea's S.O.S. as they spoke. With any luck, Cid should be able to pinpoint her location.

"I hope so. Knowing that Presea is alive is good news, but hearing she's been captured makes me anxious." Regal said. Colette only hoped that the others are doing all right as well. The scene fades with a shot of Kairi crying on Raine's shoulder and Presea sulking in her cell.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	33. Ch 33: The Keyblader Rises Again

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 33: The Keyblader Rises Again_**

Without Sora and Shang to lead them, everyone continued off towards Qui Gong. Even while everyone was hurt inside, the one who took it the hardest was Kairi. She felt now she would never get a chance to apologize to Sora for their fight.

"Sora....I really wish you were here." Kairi muttered. She continued to cry a little, but it lessened from what it was earlier. She was now just sniffling and wiping the tears from her eyes. Raine followed close by along with Sheena.

"Don't worry Kairi. I'm sure Sora is all right. If we keep it up, maybe we'll cross paths again." Sheena said. But Mulan also pointed out they had another problem besides Sora and Shang's disappearances.

"What's that? As if it could make this scenario any worse than it is now." Genis sighed.

"What are we going to do about the princesses? Yao and the others said their kidnapper has already convinced the people of Qui Gong that they are not coming." Mulan stated. Mei sighed.

"We're all terribly sorry. If you weren't in charge of guarding us, we wouldn't be in this mess." Ting-Ting apologized. Raine told the girls not to blaim themselves for their misfortune.

"But....what are we going to do? Our father said it's our mission to go through with the arranged marriage and bring peace to our two countries. But....my heart is telling me that Yao is the one I love." Mei said. Yao looked away, blushing. But just then, Kairi stopped in her tracks.

"They want someone to marry off? Fine. I will." Kairi said. Everyone gasped.

"Wha...Wha....What?!" Genis exclaimed.

"Kairi! You can't be serious! You're not even old enough to be wed yet!" Raine said firmly. Kairi figured that is what Sora would've thought of.

"No it isn't. If I know Sora, he would find another way than that." Goofy said.

"Yeah! What about everyone else at the base?" Donald asked. Kairi sighed.

"Without Sora, we're all doomed anyway." Kairi sniffled. As she looked away, everyone could tell that Kairi's feelings were starting to cloud her judgment.

"Oh man. This is not going so good for us, is it?" Bolt asked. Donald and Goofy both shook their heads. Even with Kairi still thinking about giving herself up, they continued on and finally made it to Qui Gong. Before entering the city, Mei stopped everyone.

"Kairi? Are you sure about this?" Su asked. Kairi nodded.

"Then.....what should we do? After all, this was supposed to be OUR marriage." Ting-Ting said. Mulan figured that now would be a good time to say it.

"Say what?" Genis asked.

"Well, if I know anything about deciding about what is most important, I always remember mission is always to your heart. If you're uncomfortable about something, don't be afraid to listen to what your heart has to say." Mulan said. Kairi gasped.

"I see. That's why Sora was asking you to help us. You're amazing Mulan." Kairi said. Mulan chuckled.

"Hey. I'm only me Kairi. If you want to do this, if this is what your heart TRULY says is the right thing, then....we're behind you." Mulan said. Kairi looked around at the others and they all nodded too. Kairi leaked a tear from her eye.

"Thanks guys." Kairi said. Going forward into the city, Mulan asked the princesses to hide while she entered with Kairi. Inside the palace, the emperor of Qui Gong was very upset about all of this. But when Mulan told him about Kairi and herself offering to take their place, they eagerly took the chance.

"Why you too?" Kairi whispered.

"Hey. It might help our odds of success if I join in too. Besides, a hero of China might make an excellent bride." Mulan whispered. Kairi looked away, hoping this could be avoided. Later that day, the emperor held the wedding ceremony in the palace square and all of the city came out to see. Mulan and Kairi stood before everyone, dressed in their wedding attire.

"Mulan? I'm scared." Kairi said. Mulan held Kairi's hand and told her to try and relax. In the crowd, Raine and the others watched from afar.

"Gawrsh. Poor Kairi." Goofy said. Donald couldn't help but cry too.

"Oh! Where's Sora?" Donald sniffled. The ceremony continued on as Mushu watched from the dragon statue above them.

"Man! I can't let them do this! What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?!" Mushu groaned. As the ceremony was nearing it's finish, when the emperor was about to announce them husband and wives, a horse suddenly came bursting onto the scene. It charged through the front gates.

"What the?!" the emperor exclaimed. Kairi and Mulan gasped, seeing on the horse's back was Sora and Shang!

"Kairi! Mulan!" Sora exclaimed. Kairi's eyes flooded with tears. She rushed off the stage and ran for Sora. When the two met, Kairi hugged Sora as tight as she could and he did the same.

"Sora! You're okay! I....I can't believe it!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora and Kairi both laughed, happy to see each other again as Mulan and Shang hugged also.

"I'm so sorry Sora! I....I never meant for that arguement to happen! I just....!" Kairi stuttered before she felt Sora's eyes looking at his.

"It's okay Kairi. I'm sorry for ever getting mad at all. I....I love you Kairi. I always have....and I always will. And I NEVER want to hurt you in anyway again." Sora said. Kairi was just speechless, tears filling her eyes.

"Oh! Sora!" Kairi cried as she hugged Sora even tighter. Sora and Kairi then glanced at one another before slowly leaning towards each other. But just before their lips would meet, they felt a powerful gust of wind blow all around. Arriving from the skies with his lances was Xaldin!

"ENOUGH!" Xaldin roared. The wind he casted blew everything away in a powerful hurricane and mostly everyone fled the scene.

"What's the matter Xaldin? Didn't count on me and Shang returning? Well, I think you're in for a more rude awakening! We still have a score to settle!" Sora shouted. He drew his Keyblade, glancing at Kairi. She nodded and called for her Keyblade too. Their friends drew their weapons also, making Xaldin madder.

"Ha ha ha! You fools! If you think you are any match for me, I'm afraid that YOU have just given yourself up to death. Now.....behold my TRUE POWER!" Xaldin exclaimed. With a loud yell, a ferocious hurricane began blowing around him. The wind seemed to engulf him in a sphere as he rose up into the sky.

"What....What is he doing?!" Genis exclaimed. Everyone braced the ground as the winds blew harder and harder. When the wind finally died down, Sora stared in shock. Xaldin was now a giant dragon with his lances for the wings. It's shape beared a familiar appearance to the Storm Rider Heartless.

"Holy cow! What the heck is that?!" Sheena exclaimed. Xaldin boastfully laughed.

"Feel my wrath Keyblader!" Xaldin bellowed "For I am no longer a Nobody of Organization XIII. I am the Lifeless known as......Wind Lance Dragon!" Xaldin's roar unleashed a mighty gust of wind across the ground.

"Well, whatever you are, you're going down!" Genis exclaimed. Sora leaped down from the stage.

"Come on guys! Attack!" Sora exclaimed. Everyone charged for the center of the field while Xaldin began to swoop down. Ling shouted to Yao and the others to get the princesses out of the palace. They nodded and quickly led the girls out. Xaldin came close to the ground and began going into a spiral. Sheena kept her eye on Xaldin.

"Take this!" Xaldin exclaimed. But Sheena, acting with quick reflexes, dodged Xaldin completely and slapped seals onto his body. Xaldin laughed and flew up high.

"What was that? You barely touched me." Xaldin said. Sheena smirked and called out "Fire Seal!" loudly. Suddenly, the seals on Xaldin's body erupted into flames and exploded.

"Gah!" Xaldin roared. Sheena chuckled.

"Don't judge your opponents based off their appearance. Otherwise, you're in for the shortest battle of your life." Sheena said. Xaldin growled.

"Not a bad piece of advice. Now...let me share something with YOU!" Xaldin shouted. He began firing balls of razor sharp wind at them and caught everyone off guard. The wind began slashing away at them and kept going until Bolt got down on all fours and howled loudly. The force of the waves stopped Xaldin.

"Thunder!" Donald squawked. His Thunder spell caught Xaldin off guard and zapped him. Strangely, Xaldin seemed to have taken more damage from Donald's attack.

"Foolish duck! I'll slice you into a thousand pieces!" Xaldin roared. Suddenly, his lances surrounded his front side and turned him into a giant spiraling spear. He came charging directly at them.

"Look out! Here he comes!" Goofy exclaimed. Everyone managed to avoid Xaldin and fell to the ground.

"Man! He's too fast!" Genis groaned. Donald tried to use Thunder again but the lances around him guarded him. Suddenly, Sora had an idea.

"It might work! Goofy!" Sora called. Goofy cam running over as Xaldin prepared for another strike. Sora positioned himself right in front of Goofy and asked Bolt for a little help. Bolt stomped the ground, thrusting Sora up onto Goofy's shield.

"Here goes nothing!" Goofy exclaimed. Taking a quick spin, he threw Sora towards Xaldin the minute he came within reach. Sora planted his Keyblade into Xaldin's face and lodged it in, making him hang off the giant monster's face.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed. Mulan watched as Sora hung on as hard as he could. Xaldin growled and opened his lance defense.

"Why you! Get off me!" Xaldin roared. Seeing this as a chance, Donald fired another Thunder and it connected with Xaldin. The attack threw off Xaldin's guard and gave Sora time to climb up to his back side. He shouted to Donald to cast it again, but aim for his Keyblade.

"Okay Sora!" Donald squawked. He fired another Thunder shot, but Sora's Keyblade absorbed the electrical blow and he fired a Thundaga spell directly at Xaldin. The combined magic was powerful enough to electrocute Xaldin entirely.

"Gaaahhh!" Xaldin roared. The giant colossal fell to the ground like a giant rock as Sora leaped off.

"Look! I think Xaldin's defenses have fallen! Now everyone! Attack!" Raine called. Everyone came charging and unleashed attack after attack against Xaldin.

"No! I....I won't let you!" Xaldin exclaimed. He roared again, creating a massive surge of wind and blowed them away. But in the midst, Sora charged again and Donald fired another bolt of lightning. Again, Sora's Keyblade absorbed the lightning and Sora drove it directly into Xaldin's neck. The lightning rushed throughout the dragon's giant body and finally finished it off.

"NOO!!!!" Xaldin roared. He could feel his giant body falling apart at the seams as a heart came rushing out and was quickly eradicated in thin air. As for Xaldin's body, it began turning into wind and simply blew away like dust.

"We did it!" Kairi cheered. Sora jumped off and waved to the others. Yao and the others asked if it was safe and Shang called everyone over. Kairi hugged Sora tightly, happy to see no harm came to anyone. As for the emperor of Qui Gong, he was just about to ask everyone to leave when he saw fire erupting from the dragon statue's mouth.

"Not so fast Lord Double Chin!" the statue roared. Everyone looked up, recognizing the voice to be Mushu.

"Wait a second. Mushu?" Mulan chuckled.

"Gah! The Golden Dragon of Unity! You have awakened!" the emperor gasped.

"That's right! You BETTER believe I'm awake! And after all that has happened, you STILL try to defy the heart's TRUE calling?! Spiteful worm!" Mushu roared. As the emperor tried to reason with him, Sora and Kairi could feel their Keyblades glowing.

"What the? Sora? What's going on?" Kairi asked. Sora didn't know. Everyone else looked back before a giant light engulfed them all. When the light dimmed down, they found themselves in a Chinese throne room.

"Whoa. What....Where are we?" Genis asked. Suddenly, Sora and Kairi could feel someone else was with them. Everyone looked back and saw two figures, both holding what appeared to be Keyblades.

"Who....Who are you?" Kairi asked.

"Are you Ancient Keybladers?" Sora asked. Both Keyblade wielders nodded. They were both ninja attired figures, identified by the color of their suits. One was a light blue man who kept most of his face hidden while the other was a dark red ninja with a long braid in her hair.

"We are the ancient Keybladers of this land. We have been awaiting your arrival....Sora and Kairi. I am Ying." the male warrior said. His partner introduced herself as Yang. They were Keybladers, guarding the land of China from the Heartless that dared threaten it.

"Ying and Yang? It's a pleasure to meet you. We really need your help. Heartless are out after all of our worlds. We seek your wisdom and power so that we may be able to stop it." Kairi explained.

"We know. We feared this day would come." Ying said.

"Besides, we had a feeling that was the deal when we were suddenly woken from our long nap. I mean, what kind of psycho nut comes barging in on a girl during her beauty sleep?" Yang groaned. Sora and Kairi chuckled.

"If we may, we shall accompany you on your journey. Should you need our powers, we are but a call away." Ying said. Both Ying and Yang bowed to Sora and Kairi before the light began bringing them back to China. Later that day, Sora and the others were seen leaving the Chinese world behind them.

"Wow. So THEY were ancient Keybladers. If only I had the chance, I could've asked them so many questions." Raine said. Genis chuckled, saying that if she did, they'd never leave again.

"Now Genis....does someone need another lesson in "watching what one says to their sister" again?" Raine asked. Genis froze up.

"Uhh....no. Of course not. Forget what I just said." Genis shuddered. Sora chuckled before turning to Mulan.

"Well, sorry that everything went the way it did Mulan. But I understand if you can't come. We'll see you around." Sora said. But just then, he felt Mulan's hand.

"No. Wait. I'm coming. It's clear that whatever you're facing is big. And I want to lend my strength as well." Mulan said. She looked back at Shang, seeing he said he would explain to the emperor. And thanks to Mushu, the ruler of Qui Gong has agreed to a more "reasonable" way of bringing peace between lands.

"Thank you, both of you." Mulan said. Just then, Sora's Keyblade glowed again.

"What now?" Sheena asked. Sora saw Kairi's charm from Yang light up and it revealed the Keyhole above. Sora and Kairi could both see it.

"Ready Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi nodded and they both fired beams of light into the keyhole. A loud locking sound was heard as everyone was soon on their way again. And as she said, Mulan came with them aboard the ship along with Sheena.

"Phew. That's all over with. What a relief." Genis sighed.

"Why Genis, I thought you were excited about getting a chance to be on the front line." Raine said. Just then, a buzzing sound was heard. Sora saw the monitor on the dash board appear and there was Cid's face.

"Hey Sora! We finally got in touch with you! You might wanna consider staying out there for a while. We've got another mission for you." Cid said. Sora groaned.

"Again? What now?" Sora asked. Cid quickly played Presea's S.O.S. to Sora and they all watched.

"Hey! That's....That's Presea!" Genis exclaimed.

"Presea?! No way!" Sheena gasped. They heard every last word before she was forced to abruptly end her transmission.

"Gawrsh! We have to help her! Sora! What are we gonna do?!" Goofy asked. Sora looked at his friends.

"Come on. Let's go back to Radiant Garden and devise a plan of attack. I think we'll need to choose a new team to bring with us while we're at it." Sora said. As the ship continued towards Radiant Garden, Genis' thoughts were only for Presea now.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	34. Ch 34: Rescuing A Friend : The Break In

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 34: Rescuing a Friend - The Break In_**

Leaving Radiant Gardens once more, Sora was out in the Gummi Ship heading for a deep part of space. With him was Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Max, Regal, Genis, Sheena, Stitch, Yuffie and Cloud. They all had one mission and that mission was to find Presea and rescue her.

"All right everyone. We're going to be in for a rough ride. Are you all ready?" Sora asked. Everyone nodded without a word, telling Sora they were ready.

"This is our friend Sora. We're always ready to help her." Genis commented. Sora nodded, remembering the talk they had upon returning to Radiant Garden. They met up with Leon and the others as Cid explained the situation. Luckily, through at least an hour of data crunching, he was able to trace the source of Presea's S.O.S.

"It's right out here. The place is pretty far out there. Not to mention from what I looked up, the prison she's in has been known to be one of the most feared places ever." Cid said.

"But...why would the Dark Knight want Presea? I don't get it." Genis asked. Colette pondered for a moment before wondering if it had to do with her Exsphere.

"That's probably right on the nose there Colette. If the knight wants Presea for her Exsphere, he might use it to spike power boosts in his Heartless." Zelos said. Genis groaned, clutching his head.

"Presea. If only I was there, I could've protected you." Genis thought. Regal saw Genis' restless feelings and lightly patted his head.

"Calm down Genis. I'm sure we'll rescue Presea. We'll all get your friend back." Yuffie said. Sora asked what they knew so far about the prison.

"Well, we don't know much, but from what Cid said, it's one of the most inhumane places. We heard stories of it when we were kids, thinking it was nothing but a joke." Leon said.

"Lucky for you, I already installed the prison's coordinates into the Gummi Ship's guide." Cid said. Aerith hoped Sora would be able to depart soon, apologizing for not giving him much time to recover from the trip to Mulan's world.

"It's all right. Besides, I was wondering when you guys were going to let me leave to go save her." Sora said. Genis turned to Sora and asked to come.

"Presea is a really important person to me. And....I really want to help break her out of jail too. So, PLEASE Sora? Can I come too?" Genis asked. Sora nodded. He also asked that he know a little more about the prison before they headed out. As the flashback ended, Sora continued looking on ahead. They saw they were entering enemy territory soon.

"We better be careful. We're already very far out from Radiant Garden. Not to mention the enemy might be expecting us." Regal stated. Sora nodded, already seeing enemies coming their way.

"Here they come. Time to give them a little "heads up" signal." Cloud said. Sora activated the weapons and began firing directly towards the fleet. The ship flew through the enemy line as fast as it could, blasting at or countering any shots fired from the enemy. With luck, Sora's ship squeezed through enough to reach the prison's dock.

"Wow. That place is BIG. A lot bigger than it did on Cid's map." Yuffie said. Donald and Goofy agreed, gawking a bit. The prison appeared to be one giant metal ball completely surrounded by floating lasers, each adorned by Heartless emblems.

"Okay Sora. What's the plan?" Cloud asked. Sora landed the Gummi Ship on a nearby asteroid, turning to his friends.

"All right. Like we discussed before we left, Cloud? You, Max and the king need to provide us with a distraction outside. Once you're out in front drawing the enemy's attention, me and some of the others will sneak inside and try to find Presea. While we do that, Yuffie will splice into the security system and shut down the alarm system. Then we'll all make our escape." Sora said. Everyone nodded.

"If you're all ready, I say we do this." Sora said.

"Yeah! Let's get going!" Donald squawked. Sora flew the Gummi Ship as close as he could to the landing dock and let out Cloud, Mickey and Max. Suddenly, the alarm went off.

"Get ready guys. Here they come!" Mickey called. All three drew their weapons as the Gummi Ship began flying around to the back side of the prison, where another platform waited for them. All but Sheena stepped out.

"Good luck guys. I'll wait for the signal." Sheena said. Sora nodded. His group quickly rushed for the back entrance and found an open door in the back. They sneaked inside and quickly entered the inside. They found themselves on the lowest level of the prison, home to the warden's office. But just as they entered, they were caught in some electrical shock and caused everyone to pass out.

"What....What was that?" Goofy groaned. Genis moaned, feeling like he couldn't move. Regal and Sora dropped down flat on the ground. Sora took one glance up, seeing someone's feet as well as the lower half of Heartless, before fainting.

"My, what do we have here? Why if isn't the Keyblader and friends. Hmph. I know the BEST place for you." a voice echoed. Sora and the others remained unconscious before waking up a half hour later. Sora looked around and found themselves in a prison cell.

"What the? Oh great. We've been captured." he groaned. Looking around, he also saw his friends were thrown in with him.

"Hey....guys? Wake up." Sora said. Donald and Goofy were the first to rouse with the others waking up shortly after.

"Oh. My head. Guess we didn't count on a surprise attack like that." Genis groaned. Goofy rattled his head as Regal stood.

"I hope Cloud and the others are all right. No telling how long it's been since we passed out." Regal said. Just then, they heard another voice.

"Regal? Genis?" a quiet voice asked. Everyone looked against the wall and saw Presea, still chained to it.

"Presea!" Genis exclaimed. The others rushed over as Regal grabbed the chains.

"Genis. I'm so glad to see both of you. I didn't think any of you survived." Presea said. Regal, using all of his strength, managed to break the chains apart and freed Presea from the wall. Genis helped her up.

"By the way, who are you?" Presea asked. Sora figured she meant him and the others.

"I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy and Stitch. We came to rescue you Presea." Sora said. Everyone nodded.

"Thank you. I'm glad my S.O.S. reached someone." Presea said. Stitch looked at the cuffs around Presea's wrist. He approached Presea and tried to rip them off.

"What are those?" Donald asked.

"These are special hand cuffs that the warden slapped on me when I was brought in. It's purpose seems to be weakening the energy and stamina of those who wear it. They're pretty durable too." Presea said. She watched as even Stitch had trouble braking it.

"How can we get them off?" Genis asked. Presea mentioned only the warden had the key to Presea's cuffs and he was all the way on the lower level.

"So, where are we now?" Goofy asked.

"You're on the highest level of the prison. This is where the warden keeps most of his "important" inmates locked up." Presea said. Genis groaned.

"That means we'll have to sneak all the way back down to where we were? That's going to complicate things. Who knows how much longer Cloud and the others can last." Genis said. Regal approached the door and forced it open.

"Well, we shouldn't keep everyone waiting. Shall we?" Regal asked. Sora was pretty amazed by Regal's brute strength. The group headed out of the cell and started heading for the closest staircase. Outside, the battle was heating up. Mickey, Cloud and Max were slaying the Heartless soldiers and guards everywhere they turned.

"Sora's taking longer than he said! I hope they found Presea!" Max exclaimed. Cloud groaned as he struck down another soldier. However, the appearance of a black feather froze Cloud in place.

"No. It....It can't be...." Cloud muttered. Suddenly, in a flurry of black feathers, Sephiroth appeared. The other Heartless and soldiers retreated.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud exclaimed. He clenched his teeth and drew his blade. Mickey and Max slowly stepped back.

"Hello Cloud. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud growled.

"What are you doing here? I thought when we last met in Radiant Garden, that was the last of you." Cloud asked. Sephiroth drew his blade.

"Well, that might have been the last you saw of THAT Sephiroth. But....I am the original Sephiroth. And I've got something to say to you....old friend." Sephiroth said. Cloud slowly took his stance, ready to strike.

"And what's that?" Cloud asked. Sephiroth pointed his blade at Cloud.

"Time to die." Sephiroth muttered. Cloud yelled and lunged for Sephiroth. Soon, the two were in a furious clashes of blades and leaping around the battlefield.

"Go Cloud! Get him!" Max cheered. As the two fought hard against each other, Yuffie finally made her way into the security system.

"All right. Here we go. Now just to do a little hack job, courtesy of Cid, and we'll be in the green all the way." Yuffie said. She reached into her pocket and took out a small disk, placing it directly into a nearby slot.

"Now when this baby goes off, it'll give me complete access to the security system as well as the alarms. Okay Sora. You guys better be getting out soon. Because, this won't take long to load." Yuffie said. Higher up in the prison, Sora and the others began making a break down the hallway. Luckily, the guards were all too busy worrying about Sora's distraction to stop them.

"Come on Presea! It's time to get out of here!" Genis called. Just then, they heard the sound of someone dashing towards them. Sora and the others froze, seeing Lloyd coming at them. He drew his blades and prepared to attack.

"Let go of my friend you creeps!" Lloyd shouted. He suddenly leaped up and lunged for them, clashing blades with Sora.

"Lloyd?! Is that you?!" Regal asked. Lloyd and Sora growled, trying to break the other away.

"Lloyd! It's us! Regal and Genis!" Genis exclaimed. The minute Lloyd saw Genis, he stopped.

"Genis? Regal?! Is that really you?" Lloyd asked. Sora could feel Lloyd easing up and slowly lowered his weapon.

"Lloyd, thank goodness you're all right. When did you get here?" Regal asked. Lloyd told him he recently arrived at the prison. He chased after one of the Dark Knight's men, trying to get the location of Presea from him. He also managed to steal his black cloak, giving him protection when he sneaked through corridors of darkness.

"Oh. So is this a friend of yours too Genis?" Sora asked. Genis nodded.

"Yep. Lloyd's one of my best friends. He's one of the best guys you could ever meet." Genis said. Sora turned to Lloyd and grinned.

"Hi. My name's Sora. These are my friends Donald, Goofy and Stitch." Sora said. The others waved.

"Sora? Hey, we finally meet." Lloyd said. Sora asked what he meant.

"Well, in the places I chased after Presea, I've heard people talking about what a great guy you are. I see you've been busy lately." Lloyd stated. Sora chuckled, agreeing to it completely. Genis also pointed out that they found all of the others too.

"Re...Really? Professor Sage? Sheena? Zelos? Everyone?" Lloyd asked. Genis and Regal nodded.

"That's really great. Then I think it's about time for us to get out of here. I'd like to see my friends too, but I also want to make sure Presea makes it out too. So, I'm coming too." Lloyd said. Sora figured that was probably the best thing to do right now.

"Wait a minute. What about everyone else in the prison? If we escape, the knight will surely continue to use them for his Lifeless. I don't want to go yet. Not until I know we can shut this place down for good." Presea said. Sora and the others glanced at Presea.

"Well....that might be difficult to do." Genis muttered. Sora figured that by now, Yuffie must be hacking into the security system of the prison. With luck, she'll be able to release everyone else.

"Okay then. Then....I need to get these cuffs off and get my weapon back. They're all down in the warden's office on the bottom floor." Presea said. Everyone nodded.

"All right then. Come on guys. Time to raid the warden's office." Sora said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	35. Ch 35: Rescuing A Friend : The Escape

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 35: Rescuing A Friend - The Escape_**

Outside, the fierce battle between Cloud and Sephiroth was really heating up. Both sides weren't lowering in strength by the least and they seemed dead serious about killing the other. Max and Mickey each had a hard time trying to keep track of them.

"Whoa! How are they moving so fast?!" Max exclaimed.

"I don't know Max. I just hope they don't bring this battle any closer! Otherwise, we'd get caught up in their cross fire." Mickey said, completely amazed. Up in the sky above them, Cloud and Sephiroth were locked in a stale mate.

"I bet the knight is behind you coming back, right?" Cloud asked, clenching his teeth. Sephiroth said nothing as he warped away and landed on the ground. Cloud descended after him.

"You might say he is. And if you're going to bother asking why I would help him, it's because we're after the same thing. When we are done, ALL will submit to darkness." Sephiroth said. Cloud growled.

"Not if WE have anything to say about it! I know that Sora, Donald and everyone else is going to stop you! And I'm going to help them!" Cloud exclaimed. Sephiroth huffed.

"If you mean that boy that took me on before, he'll be dead should our blades meet on the battlefield." Sephiroth said. Cloud growled.

"Just shut up!" Cloud roared. He and Sephiroth lunged for each other again as Sora's group rushed down the staircase, arriving on the third floor.

"Presea! How many floors are there?" Genis asked.

"Don't worry. There's only four. We've got two to go until we reach the warden's office." Presea said. Sora continued to watch ahead, but everyone came to a stop with the sudden appearance of Defender and Surveillance Robot Heartless.

"Watch out! The enemy knows we're here!" Lloyd exclaimed. Sora and Goofy glanced at each other and nodded. He used Goofy to unleash Knocksmash at the Heartless, sending them flying. Though weakened by the cuffs, Presea managed to fend for herself with Regal and Genis' help. Lloyd slayed the Heartless sent flying by Goofy.

"The Heartless must have some kind of strange instinct to find us. They don't need to hear the alarm to know there are intruders inside the prison." Regal said. Lloyd nodded, saying that's what happened when he arrived too. It wasn't until he started fighting the Heartless that the prison alarms went off and Sephiroth appeared.

"Wait! Sephiroth?!" Sora, Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"Yeah. That guy is working with the knight. Trust me. You do NOT want to fight that guy alone. He's a one man army, a monster." Lloyd said. Sora glanced at Goofy and Donald, seeing them gulp just remembering when Sora met Sephiroth last time.

"Come on. We better keep going. Those Heartless are bound to show up again." Genis said.

"Aba chucha!" Stitch called. He pointed ahead and there was another Heartless coming their way. It appeared to be a giant rock ball with the emblem on it's chest.

"Stitch!" Sora exclaimed. Stitch nodded and dashed for the Heartless. The giant continued rolling towards them until Stitch, using his super strength, grabbed it and sent it rolling the other direction. It also ran over some Heartless just appearing.

"Hurry." Presea said. Everyone hurried to the end of the hall and raced downstairs. Encountering more Heartless on the lower levels and just evading their fire, Sora made it down to the first floor in less than an hour. Everyone stopped to catch their breath. Presea was surely weakening fast, since she dropped to the ground when she stopped running.

"Presea. You okay?" Genis asked. Presea looked up at him and nodded.

"Sorry. The....cuffs I'm wearing must really be....wearing down my energy. So....So weak...." Presea muttered. She braced herself against Genis' side as he helped her up.

"All right guys. Let's go." Sora said. The group charged ahead just as Yuffie was finished hacking into the security system.

"Yes! Score one for Yuffie. Okay. Now let's see about shutting off these alarm systems. Better yet, I think I'll just release all the prisoners. THAT ought to make the bad guys mad." Yuffie said. She typed away at the panel and successfully deactivated the alarms while opening all the cell doors. All of the people trapped by the Dark Knight were freed. Yuffie picked up her walkie talkie, linking back to Sheena.

"All right! Yuffie to Sheena! Mission accomplished. I'll meet ya around back for the pick up." Yuffie said. She then slipped her talkie away before seeing the speakers to the prison were also accessible.

"Oh. Should I?" Yuffie thought with a grin. Back downstairs, Sora and the others managed to enter the warden's office. It was a large circular room, with control panels all around and visual panels.

"This is it. Now we just need to find...." Presea said. But just then, they heard a sinister cackle. They looked and saw a skinny armed man with spiky blue hair and a large white jacket. He stood right by Presea's axe.

"Looking for something little girl?" he asked. Sora and the others drew their weapons.

"Who's this guy?" Sora asked. Presea said his name was Commander Parasite, the warden's sleazy partner. Parasite sneered.

"Someone's been a VERY naughty girl. Why don't all of you just head back upstairs before I get rather ticked? Trust me when I say you do NOT want me when I am mad." Parasite smirked. But no one was budging an inch, causing Parasite's smirk to vanish.

"Fine. I see how you want it. You little fools are going to regret your choice of ignoring my warning. Now prepare to meet thy doom!" Parasite cackled. Suddenly, his hands transformed into two long sickles. He laughed and came charging, clashing blades with Sora.

"You sicko! What's your deal?" Genis asked. He attacked with a spell, forcing Parasite away.

"What do you mean little boy? This is what I LOVE doing. I just love torturing the prisoners." Parasite chuckled. Soon, he was in a ferocious clash with Sora and Lloyd. Presea asked why he would sink so low as to let his own kind, humans, be turned into Lifeless for the knight.

"Oh. I'm not turning against my kind. I AM a Lifeless! Call me Parasite, a cross between the Prison Keeper Heartless and a Dragoon Nobody!" Parasite laughed. He demonstrated his Dragoon powers by warping away and driving down directly at Lloyd. But Lloyd drew his swords in defense.

"Then if you're a Lifeless, you're going down just like the rest!" Sora shouted. Parasite cackled, saying he'd love to fight the one who took down Lillith and Xaldin.

"Face it! They might've been pushovers. But compared to me? I'm NOT!" Parasite laughed. But just then, everyone heard Yuffie's voice on the speakers.

"Oh really? Well, you sure seem DUMB enough! I just hacked into the security system and set your "prisoners" free!" Yuffie called. Presea sighed.

"Thank goodness." Presea muttered. Sora and the others cheered.

"What?! No! If the warden finds out what happened, I'll be dead meat for sure! I know! I'll make it up to him by killing all of YOU!" Parasite shouted. He extended his arms out and began spinning like a top. But just as he did, Sora, Donald and Goofy united their powers and successfully attacked with their Trinity attack. Their attack caught Parasite off guard and sent him crashing into the controls, knocking him out.

"Huh. And he JUST said he wasn't a pushover." Sora chuckled. Donald and the others laughed as well. But just then, the doors behind them were sent flying at them and something grabbed Presea!

"Gah! Presea!" Genis exclaimed. In the smoke, everyone saw Warden Cage approaching. He was a tall, muscular man with tan skin, a dark red jacket and light yellow hair. Genis gulped.

"Don't tell me HE is the warden." Donald gulped. Stitch snarled and so did Presea.

"You fool Parasite. I always KNEW you were too weak to be my commander. But even so, you've made sure our dear Presea didn't leave. Back to your cell inmate and prepare to have your Exsphere taken." Cage said. Genis gasped.

"No! You let Presea go now!" Genis shouted. He came charging at Presea but Cage kicked him down harsh. The half elf fell face flat on the ground before Cage kicked him away like a tin can.

"Genis!" Lloyd and Regal exclaimed. Presea glared at Cage.

"Know this face Keyblader. My name is Cage and I run this prison. You came here to rescue your friend, but she's not going anywhere until she agrees to cooperate with us." Cage called. Sora groaned.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Sora asked. Cage chuckled and suddenly began to glow. A large cloud of smoke filled the room, catching Sheena's eyes from outside. In the office, Cage somehow was now a large Heartless like creature. He appeared to be the same shape as Parasite Cage, but with white skin, a pair of red eyes on his chest and a giant mouth. Inside his stomach was Presea!

"I do! For I too am a Lifeless, serving only my master, the Dark Knight. I am the cross between a Beserker Nobody and the Heartless known as Parasite Cage! Remember me....Keyblader?!" Cage asked. Sora gasped, seeing his shape to be the same as the Heartless from inside Monstro.

"Yes. You remember well. I've been waiting for you Sora. I've been waiting to get back at you for what you did to me. And now, with my powers reborn as a Lifeless, you're NO match for me now!" Cage exclaimed. But as Cage laughed, Genis got back up.

"No. You....You're not gonna beat us! Now give us back Presea!" Genis exclaimed. He came charging again, only to be effortlessly swatted away by Cage. He tried again but Cage drove Genis straight into the ground.

"Genis..." Presea muttered. Cage laughed at the bruised Genis. Genis tried to get up, but Cage's hand smashed him back down.

"You foolish whelp! How do YOU think your scrawny human powers can help you win?! You're powerless against me!" Cage laughed. He then picked up Genis and threw him directly at the control panel. Genis yelled loudly and fell down, clutching his side.

"Genis! No!" Lloyd exclaimed. Cage laughed boastfully. But all that ended when he saw Genis standing up again.

"You....You won't win. Don't....Don't you get....get it? Presea is my friend and....a true friend is someone who you enjoy spending time with, a person.....you would do anything to help out, someone.....you would protect with every ounce....of strength you have." Genis groaned. Sora realized that was the same thing he told him before. Presea was speechless.

"Genis....?" Presea asked. Cage growled as Genis forced himself back onto his feet. Though battered and bruised, Genis still approached Cage. He stood alongside Sora and friends.

"So that's why.....that's why I'm not going to stop.....not until I get Presea BACK!" Genis shouted. Sora could see Genis' courage building and stood by his side, Keyblade in hand. Cage growled and roared, swinging his arms towards them. But Genis avoided them and Sora managed to stomp down on them, using them as a spring to rocket himself at Cage's face to deliver a strike.

"You might be strong Cage! But the strength of our spirits are stronger!" Genis exclaimed. Cage roared and swung both of his arms around again.

"Foolish worms! Do you really think that I'll let myself be beaten by a bunch of scrawny rats like you?! Ridiculous!" Cage roared. But Lloyd slashed off one of Cage's hands, causing the giant Lifeless to roar.

"You might as well surrender now! Or we'll be forced to take you down with our own bare hands!" Regal shouted. He came charging and kicked Cage in the gut. Presea tried to force herself out of the monster's mouth.

"Have to....escape. Got to....help....Genis..." she groaned. But Cage's body was starting to force her down from above.

"Make any false moves and I'll kill the girl on the spot! I'll crush her under my own body weight!" Cage roared. But suddenly, Stitch lunged for Cage and lifted the Heartless up and chucking him at the window. His impact broke the windows behind him and nearly knocked him over.

"Give up yet?!" Donald shouted. He and Sora attacked using Duck Flare while Goofy used his shield for a boomerang. Cage groaned as the rockets continued to strike away at his head. The giant Heartless roared.

"Enough! You are all DEAD!" Cage roared. But suddenly, he saw Genis lunging for him.

"Presea!" Genis exclaimed. Presea looked on as Cage was ready to grab him. But the minute he did, Genis pulled out his kadona.

"Take this! Meteor Storm!" Genis yelled. Firing his spell with perfect timing, a storm of meteors came rushing at Cage. He gasped, staring on in horror as the meteors finished him off with direct shots to his head. His heart began rushing out from his mouth before breaking apart. The giant then started to fall towards Genis as he landed, with Presea still inside.

"Presea!" Genis exclaimed. He dashed for her while the giant was still coming down.

"Genis! No! Look out!" Lloyd exclaimed. But when the giant finally came down, it was too late. Genis and Presea both appeared crushed under the giant's body. Suddenly, the Gummi Ship came towards the nearby wall and fired a hole in it with the lasers. On board was Mickey, Max, Cloud, Yuffie and Sheena.

"Guys! Are you all right?!" Sheena asked. Everyone looked on as Cage's body began turning into sand. The blast caused by Sheena also brought down some metal roofing from above. It covered Presea and Genis.

"Come on! We've got to find Genis and Presea! They're still under there!" Regal exclaimed. Sheena gasped.

"Oh no! Presea! Genis!" Sheena exclaimed. Everyone rushed to get the metal off of them. Lloyd worried that Genis might have finally met his end as he feverishly threw metal aside.

"Genis! Can you hear me?! Presea?!" Lloyd exclaimed. But when they finally moved all the metal off, their worries faded. On the ground, Genis and Presea were seen clutching onto each other tightly. Both were slightly bruised. Sheena sighed.

"Gawrsh, are they all right?" Goofy asked. Lloyd chuckled.

"Yeah. I think they're gonna be just fine Goofy." Sheena said. Lloyd also saw, on both of their faces, there was a bit of a smile on each of them. Genis and Presea slowly opened their eyes, gazing at each other.

"Presea.....I...." Genis muttered. But Presea silenced him by reaching out for him.

"Genis....thank you." she whispered. Just then, they all saw Parasite standing up behind them. He gasped at the sight of his dead master.

"Warden! NO!" Parasite exclaimed. He gasped as he saw everyone's eyes glaring at him. Genis and Presea slowly stood up.

"What...What did you do to the warden?! You MONSTERS!" Parasite snarled. Luckily, Yuffie discovered a small paper by her feet. It appeared to be a code sheet, including the code to free Presea. Entering the code into a panel on them, she unlocked Presea's cuffs and Presea felt all her strength coming back. Parasite gulped.

"Wa...Wa....Wait a second! Don't you even think about...!" Parasite stuttered. Presea walked over and grabbed Parasite by his collar. She forcefully pulled him down to her eye level.

"So, you thought I was a little girl? Someone you could pick on? Well, tell me. How does THIS feel for a little girl?" Presea asked. She pulled her fist back and punched Parasite directly in his face. The sheer force of her punch sent Parasite crashing into a wall and the others watched a heart emerge from the rubble covering Parasite. Sora and the others gasped from shock.

"Wak! That's Presea's REAL power?!" Donald exclaimed. Sheena chuckled and winked.

"Yep. That's our Presea for ya. Tough as nails." Sheena said. With the prison shut down and the prisoners safely escaping on escape pods, everyone boarded the Gummi Ship and headed back for Radiant Gardens. And earning some deserved rest in the back was Genis and Presea, leaning up against each other.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	36. Ch 36: It's My First Date

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 36: It's My First Date_**

In the streets of Radiant Gardens, nearly half a week following Sora and Genis' successful rescue of Presea, Mulan began training Kairi to fight by herself. And with their moments of peace, it appeared that Kairi was truly learning from Mulan. Sora and Riku watched from afar.

"Wow Sora. I've got to hand it to you. Mulan's a great teacher for Kairi." Riku said. Sora chuckled, remembering how their sparring matches have been going lately.

"That's it Kairi. Good. Remember, keep that stance." Mulan said. Kairi nodded and both swung their weapons in unison. Soon enough, it seemed like Kairi and Mulan were mirrors. Inside, Genis was struggling with Raine. Raine was grabbing Genis' arm, trying to force him back to bed.

"Raine! Come on! I'm fine now! Believe me!" Genis shouted.

"Not according to your sister you aren't. You were seriously injured from your fight with Cage. You need rest Genis." Raine said. Genis growled.

"Ow! Sis! You're gonna yank my arm out of it's socket!" Genis exclaimed. Raine suddenly let go, letting Genis clutch his arm.

"You see? You haven't completely healed. Your body still needs time to heal. Now come on, back into bed with you." Raine said. She was last seen pulling Genis back into his room by his ear.

"Hey! Raine? Ow! OW! This isn't making me feel any better!" Genis exclaimed. Soon as Raine left, Genis was in his bed sulking under the covers.

"Stupid sister. I don't know what the big deal is." Genis grumbled. Just then, he saw his door creaking open. Thinking it was Raine again, he hid under his covers. But actually, it was Presea.

"Genis?" Presea asked. Genis peeked out and spotted Presea.

"Oh. Presea. Phew. I'm glad to see it's YOU and not Raine with more medicine." Genis said. Presea slowly approached Genis and sat on his bed.

"I never...I never got a chance to truly thank you for rescuing me. You were very brave, even though Cage was beating you around so easily." Presea said. Genis gasped, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Well....I had too Presea. You mean too much to me. I....I couldn't let Cage do what he was planning to do to you." Genis said. Almost as if it was a mirage, Genis thought he saw Presea smile.

"Thank you....Genis." Presea muttered. She lightly kissed Genis before walking away. Genis blushed, feeling his face.

"No way. Was....Was that really Presea?" Genis thought. A little later on, everyone relaxed in the kitchen after training outside.

"Phew. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm exhausted." Kairi sighed. Seifer huffed.

"Well, that's funny. I never thought I'd hear you say that yourself." Seifer said. But secretly, Sora and the others snickered.

"This is coming from someone who's hardly done anything but hang around here." Sora chuckled. Seifer groaned, making Pete laugh too.

"And what are YOU laughing at big guy?! Ever since YOU joined, you've hardly done squat!" Seifer shouted. Pete groaned.

"You better watch it shorty! Otherwise, you're really gonna get it! I have TOO done my load for this team and I'm not gonna let some snot nosed little.....!" Pete argued. The two continued to argue with each other, seeming like there wasn't any end. As they did, Sora took a glance at Kairi. He remembered how close their feelings were when they visited China.

"Uhh...say Kairi?" Sora asked. Kairi looked up at Sora and asked what it was. Sora looked away, blushing a bit.

"Well, I thought since....you know....you're training is going so well that....maybe you'd like to...." Sora stuttered. Kairi continued to watch until she got some idea of what he was saying.

"Sora? Are you asking me on a date or something?" Kairi chuckled. Sora completely froze up, proven when Goofy waved his face in Sora's face but nothing happened.

"Then yes. I'd love to." Kairi giggled. Sora's face blushed bright red.

"O...Okay then." Sora said. Riku chuckled from afar as Colette took Lloyd's hand.

"Hey Lloyd? How come we haven't gone on a date? Are you shy too? Like Sora?" Colette asked. Lloyd nervously chuckled.

"What? No. No. I'm not SHY. Hey, how about we go along with Sora and Kairi then?" Lloyd asked. Colette chuckled and hugged Lloyd's arm. Soon, Marta was getting the same idea.

"Oh Emil?" Marta asked in a cute voice. Emil gulped, figuring Marta was going to ask the same thing as Colette. Tenebrae sighed.

"Really Lady Marta, you think you would have a LITTLE dignitiy when asking Emil on a date." Tenebrae said. Marta growled until Emil agreed to Marta's invite for a date. Marta squealed and hugged Emil. From his bedroom, Genis could hear everyone's words and wished he could go on a date with Presea. Just then, he saw Presea coming in.

"P...Presea?" Genis asked. Presea took Genis' arm and asked him if he was thinking the same thing. Genis gasped.

"Wait. Wha...?" Genis stuttered. Later that day, Sora and the others boarded the Gummi Ship and all four dates went together. They were Sora and Kairi, Lloyd and Colette, Emil and Marta with Genis and Presea, sneaking on without Raine knowing. Even with them discovered, Sora let Genis and Presea come.

"Wow. Presea, you...you really changed." Genis said. Presea looked away.

"Well, I thought you deserved something for rescuing me after all." Presea said. Genis smiled and blushed. Their destination was Twilight Town after Sora mentioned how beautiful Sunset Hill was. Back in Radiant Garden, Leon was talking with Cloud alone on the cliffside in the Dark Depths. Tifa joined them.

"So, Sephiroth is back again?" Leon asked. Cloud nodded without a word.

"Yeah. When we attacked the prison to rescue Sora's friend, I got into another fight with him. But something was odd." Cloud said. Tifa asked what happened exactly.

"Well, we were following the plan exactly. I was helping draw the prison's attention from Sora and soon enough, Sephiroth arrived. We fought for a long time, but he suddenly vanished after saying he got a "order" to return to base....wherever that is." Cloud said. Leon sighed.

"Whatever the case, if Sephiroth really is in leagues with the Dark Knight, we've got trouble. And by "we", I really mean Sora." Leon said. Tifa agreed, not expecting Sephiroth to be back so soon. Cloud looked at his hand and clenched it tightly.

"Even if he is, the next time we meet....is when we're going to settle it." Cloud muttered. Elsewhere, Sora and the others landed safely in Twilight Town. Sora and his friends then headed for the train station and went on the train line to Sunset Hill. As the train chugged along the tracks, Colette and the others looked outside at Twilight Town's beautiful surroundings.

"Wow. This place is so beautiful." Marta muttered. Emil nodded.

"It feels so warm here. It's like....It's like you can completely forget about everything that's happening." Colette said. Lloyd agreed, feeling the same way. Genis and Presea both looked out the window before a pain came to Genis' arm.

"Dang it." Genis thought. When Sora's group finally arrived at Sunset Terrace, everyone stepped out to see the beautiful sunset.

"You were right Sora. This place is perfect for a first date." Kairi said. Sora chuckled and took Kairi's hand.

"If you think that's neat, you should see Sunset Hill." Sora said. Kairi smiled.

"Okay then, lead on." Kairi said. Everyone followed Sora and Kairi into town, seeing what appeared to be a festival before them.

"Hey. What's going on?" Sora asked. In the grounds, Sora could see Hayner, Pence and Olette playing one of the festival games. Hayner threw darts at a board covered in balloons, but groaned.

"Dang it! I almost had it that time!" Hayner groaned. Pence chuckled.

"Yeah. And that's considering the fact that your last attempt almost got the game guy in the butt." Pence snickered. Hayner eyed him.

"Better watch it there Pence. Or maybe I'll have to..." Hayner chuckled with a sneer. But just then, Olette pointed out Sora and the others.

"Guys! Look! There's Sora!" Olette exclaimed. The others looked back and saw Sora and friends approaching.

"Hey! Sora! Good to see ya again!" Hayner called. Sora smiled and waved.

"Hey guys. How's it been?" Sora asked. Pence said things were going great in Twilight Town. Not a single problem occured since Sora and friends last visited, neither did any Heartless show up.

"That's good." Sora said

"So...how's Seifer doing, ya know?" a voice asked. Sora looked back and saw Fuu, Vivi and Rai.

"Hey there. Seifer's doing fine. We're learning to put up with him though." Sora said.

"Lonely." Fuu muttered. Olette chuckled, saying that Fuu meant it was kind of quiet with Seifer gone. Pence teased saying that maybe the Heartless only came since he was here. Sora and the others chuckled. Hayner took a good look at Sora's friends.

"Hey Sora, who are they?" Hayner asked. Sora introduced Lloyd and the others to the kids.

"Wow. You guys are in Sora's team too? That's amazing!" Pence exclaimed.

"Sure seems like YOU'VE been busy Sora. So what brings you by? We haven't called in a problem yet." Hayner said. Sora blushed and mentioned their dates. Pence gave off a short whistle before Olette bopped him.

"That's so sweet. You came on the perfect day. The terrance is having it's annual Twilight Sun Festival. You couldn't have picked a better day to come." Olette said. Lloyd chuckled, guessing they did. Emil asked if they knew about Sunset Hill.

"Oh yeah. That place is really beautiful. From what I've heard, the hill is more beautiful when you go there with someone you care about." Hayner said. Kairi suddenly glanced at Sora, making him blush again.

"Oh. So THAT'S why you wanted to come here Sora." Kairi giggled. Sora looked away, face bright red. The others laughed as well.

"Well, come on. We'd better let the others enjoy themselves." Sora muttered as he walked away with Kairi. Kairi looked back and told the others she would see them later. Sora and Kairi continued alone to Sunset Hill and walked up to the top. Sora made Kairi cover her eyes.

"Come on Sora. I can't stand it anymore." Kairi groaned. Sora chuckled.

"Okay Kairi. Take a look." Sora said. Kairi opened her eyes, gazing out at the beautiful horizon. Kairi was utterly speechless.

"Wow Sora. It's.....You're right. It's so beautiful up here." Kairi said. Sora smiled.

"Yeah. Kairi? I'm....I'm sorry." Sora said. Kairi looked at Sora and asked what he meant. Sora went on, apologizing for their fight. Kairi shook her head.

"Don't worry about that anymore Sora. I've forgiven you by now. You were just "not yourself" for a while there. Nothing to apologize for. I know that you're always going to be you." Kairi said. Sora looked away.

"Hey....Kairi? Remember when you asked me never to change? Well, don't ever change Kairi." Sora said. Kairi suddenly glanced at Sora as he rested his hand on hers.

"Why?" Kairi asked. Sora chuckled.

"Well, because I really like you....the way you are now." Sora said. Kairi blushed and rested her other hand on his.

"Oh, that's so sweet Sora." Kairi giggled. Sora and Kairi looked towards the sun as they both hugged each other. The others soon joined Sora and Kairi on the hill, staring out at the beautiful sun.

"It's so amazing. I can't believe how beautiful it is here." Marta said.

"Yeah. Look down there. You can see most of the town from up here." Lloyd pointed out. Genis could see it too, including Presea. As Presea looked on, Genis' eyes glanced at Presea.

"I'm really glad you're safe Presea. It's so great that we're all back together again." Genis thought. Everyone continued to enjoy the festival before heading home. And upon returning to Radiant Garden, Raine found out about Genis sneaking off but Sora was able to save Genis from being lectured by Raine. With their memories of the day in their hearts, Sora and the others gently drifted off to sleep late that night.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	37. Ch 37: This is Halloween

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 37: This is Halloween_**

In Radiant Gardens, an arguement was going on that was lasting for quite some time now. Ever since Sora told the others of his adventures to Halloween Town, Riku was quick to talk down his encounter with Santa Claus, even saying he was still fake.

"He IS real Riku! You tried to fool me back when we were kids!" Sora shouted.

"You're such a fool Sora! If I already said it once, I'll say it again. He isn't real!" Riku shouted. Kairi continued to watch them argue as Lloyd came in.

"Hey Kairi. Uhh....what's happening?" Lloyd asked. Kairi glanced at him and sighed.

"Oh. It's nothing. Those guys have been arguing over Santa's existence for a straight hour. It gets boring when they don't realize it's getting old." Kairi said. Lloyd looked on as Sora was ready to blow his lid.

"Fine! I'll prove to you that Santa is real! How can I?!" Sora asked. Riku chuckled.

"I don't know. Maybe actually SHOW him to me?" Riku asked. Sora groaned.

"Fine. I will!" Sora exclaimed. He then stormed off in a huff, leaving the others behind.

"What's HIS deal?" Lloyd asked. Kairi glanced at Lloyd and shook her head. Outside, Auron was taking a rest with Mulan as Sora passed by.

"What's your problem?" Auron asked. Sora explained everything to both of them, saying he was going to see Cid to help.

"Well, I don't know if this is what you want to hear or not, but maybe Riku's right. Maybe...." Mulan said. But Sora stopped her, saying he met the real one before the team was formed.

"Okay Sora. Sorry." Mulan said. Sora apologized too before walking off again. Auron huffed and decided to head off. Passing through town, Sora passed by the new Synthesis Shop set up down town. He saw two young boys outside fixing the sign.

"Hi there." Sora called. The two boys turned around, revealed to be Phineas and Ferb in Moogle like clothing.

"Well, hello there! I'm Phineas and this is Ferb." Phineas said. Ferb just quietly waved.

"Hey, aren't you guys kind of young to be working at this place? I thought you had to be super smart or something to do synthesis." Sora asked.

"Well, aren't YOU a bit too young to be saving worlds? We've heard rumors." Phineas asked. Sora stuttered, forgetting he asked and walked off. Inside the shop, Phineas and Ferb's sister Candace groaned.

"Great. Just GREAT. The one time something amazing happens and I have no way of busting the boys. Hey, where's Perry? I thought he was with us." Candace said. Down at the committee's base, Donald and Goofy were there already. Donald was playing with WALL-E as Cid showed Goofy the computer. Behind them, they saw Sora come in.

"Heh! Perfect timing Sora! Come over here for a second, would ya?" Cid called. Sora came on over just as Cid brought up something.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"Well, looks like we've got some trouble. To me, this is kind of a good thing. It's been WAY too quiet lately." Cid said. Sora shrugged, figuring the shut down of the prison halting the Heartless.

"So, where do we need to go?" Sora asked. Cid typed away and brought up a monitor, showing Halloween Town before them.

"Hey! That's Halloween Town! Perfect." Sora cheered. Donald and Goofy both glanced at Sora.

"Huh? Sora? How is that "perfect"?" Donald asked. Sora looked at the duck and waved his hand.

"Forget about it Donald. You guys wait here and I'll get some of the others." Sora said. He went off and when he came back, Sora brought Kairi, Riku, Stitch, Emil and Marta. Tenebrae floated alongside them.

"So, we're going to Halloween Town. Right?" Kairi asked. Sora nodded.

"Yep. Heartless are starting to act up and we have to go." Sora said. Riku thought this was just an excuse so Sora could "prove" Santa existed. Emil and Marta looked at each other, shrugging in confusion.

"Oh yeah Riku? Try and say that when I prove you wrong." Sora said. Riku chuckled and crossed his arms.

"You just CAN'T let that go, will you?" Riku asked. Sora groaned and told them to just get on the ship. Everyone just shrugged and followed Sora aboard the Gummi Ship. Taking off, Cid watched with WALL-E at his side.

"Yeah. I know. I don't get what his deal is either." Cid said. Out in space, the Gummi Ship flew past worlds they had seen before. They went beyond Disney Castle before finally finding Halloween Town before them.

"All right everyone. Get ready to land." Sora said. Everyone nodded as the Gummi Ship began it's descent. It came down in Curly Hill, landing close to the base of the strange hill. Everyone stepped out onto the land, transformed by Halloween Town's strange magic.

"Gawrsh. Looks like nothing's changed, huh?" Goofy asked. As Sora, Donald and Goofy were fine, everyone else was rather shocked by their new appearances. Stitch appeared as a zombie Stitch with more fur, Emil was a werewolf with blonde fur, Riku became a ghost and Kairi and Marta transformed into black robed witches with Marta having the big black hat.

"Whoa. What....What just happened?" Emil asked. Marta looked at Emil and giggled.

"Oh! Emil! You are so cute! You're like a cute puppy!" Marta giggled. Sora and Emil glanced at each other.

"Isn't he kind of BIG to be a puppy?" Sora asked. Just then, they heard a dog's bark echo. Donald squawked and jumped into Sora's arms. But the bark was shown to be coming from an excited Zero.

"Hey Zero!" Sora called. The small dog barked and flew around everyone, showing his excitement by rubbing his face against Sora's cheek.

"Aww. He likes you Sora." Kairi chuckled. Zero flew around the others as well, getting a good look at everyone before flying off.

"Come on. Maybe he knows where Jack is." Sora said. As they left the graveyard, Tenebrae took a deep inhale.

"Ah. Can you feel it? This world is just RICH with darkness. Oh. I think I'm going to ENJOY myself here." Tenebrae said in a creepy tone. Marta and Emil looked away and groaned.

"Great. Tenebrae just went back into "Darkness Maniac" mode again." Marta sighed. Following the ghost dog, they arrived in Halloween Town square. There were many tables out in the square and everyone seemed busy. But the one thing no one saw was him, Jack Skellington.

"Hey. Where's Jack?" Goofy asked. Everyone looked around, trying to spot Jack. But as Sora approached the fountain with Kairi, something leaped out and screamed. Sora and Kairi gasped from fright as their scarer was actually Jack himself.

"Sora! Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington! The Pumpkin King!" Jack exclaimed. Kairi yelled, grasping to Sora. Jack chuckled.

"Oh. So sorry. Guess I overdid it just a "tad" bit." Jack chuckled. Sora and Jack shook hands, kind of surprising Kairi a bit. Everyone gathered around.

"Welcome one and all. Welcome to our glorious home, which we like to call Halloween Town! What brings you by Sora?" Jack asked.

"Well Jack, it's like this." Sora said. He told everything to his skeleton friend, even the Dark Knight and the Heartless.

"My. That DOES seem like a lot of work to take care of. Still, it's great to see all of you found the time to come and visit our humble home. In fact, I might be able to use your help for something." Jack said. Emil looked around and asked what all the tables was for.

"Oh. Well, you see, because of the little....eh...."unfortunate incident" that took place before with Mr. Claws, I thought a bit of a party would be in order to....fix the situation and make everyone friends again. The problem is I'm too busy setting up here to give Mr. Claws his invite." Jack explained. Sora suddenly felt like Jack was about to use him again like he did last time, being Santa's bodyguards.

"Would it be all right if you could bring Mr. Claws his invite? I'd truly appreciate it Sora." Jack said, handing Sora the envelope.

"All right. Say, if I do this, then maybe there's something you could do for us Jack. We're putting together a team to help stop the Dark Knight and the Heartless. It's a team made of my closest friends and trusted partners. So...I was wondering..." Sora said before Jack got the idea.

"You want ME to come along? Oh. I'm touched Sora. I'd be glad too!" Jack laughed. Sora thanked Jack, secretly having a feeling that Jack would've accept. He glanced at Riku with a smirk.

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding. Come on Sora. You don't really think this walking skeleton is telling the truth, do you?" Riku asked. Sora chuckled, telling Riku he was going to regret saying all that stuff about Santa before. The others followed after Sora as they left town. In the graveyard, Lock, Shock and Barrel were seen having a meeting.

"So what now Mr. Kefka sir?" Lock asked.

"Yeah. When are we gonna get to the GOOD stuff?" Shock asked. The man they were speaking with was Kefka Palazzo, an insanely dressed clown with a bad sense of humor.

"Relax kiddies. We'll get to the good stuff soon. So, shut your traps!" Kefka screamed. Lock and Shock yelled and clutched each other from fear, leaving Barrel cowering in his seat. Kefka took a deep inhale and sighed.

"Ah. I just LOVE the sight of terrified children in the evening. Now, I'm only going to say this one more time. So you better open your ears for this one you stupid kids you." Kefka said. He called the kids closer and began whispering his plans. Meanwhile, Sora and friends were just entering the woods outside town.

"Here we are guys. It's just ahead." Sora said. He led the group towards the tree with the Christmas tree shaped door.

"Hayuck. This is it all right. The doorway to Christmas Town." Goofy chuckled. Sora stepped aside as his friends watched.

"Let me just say that beyond this door is a world that has many wonders and sights. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. It was nothing like Halloween Town, so full of life and..." Sora said, sounding like he was mimicing Jack.

"Come on! Just open it!" Emil exclaimed.

"Okay. Okay. Come on guys." Sora said. He opened the door and jumped down the hole with Donald and Goofy. Close behind was Emil and Marta, Kairi and Tenebrae and Stitch and Riku bringing up the rear. They fell down the tree and passed through the magical snow. The scene changed to Yuletide Hill as Sora fell out from the tree.

"Well, here we.....ouf!" Sora yelped as his friends fell on him.

"Guh....get off." Sora groaned. The others rolled off Sora's back and rattled their heads, shaking free the snow. Everyone had transformed again, fitting the Christmas Town world. While Sora, Donald and Goofy were themselves, Kairi and Marta were dressed as Miss Claus, Stitch was a blue furred Rudolph while Emil was a elf and Riku was a darker Santa.

"Whoa. That was....what? Whoa!" Kairi exclaimed. Everyone looked down the hill, seeing Christmas Town before them.

"No way! Is this....Is this the North Pole?!" Emil gasped.

"Hey! Where's Santa?" Marta asked. Sora pointed towards town.

"At his workshop of course. Come on guys. We've got to deliver Santa his letter." Sora said.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	38. Ch 38: Double Trouble Brewing

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 38: Double Trouble Brewing_**

Sora and his friends began their walk down towards Santa's workshop as the others looked around. Though Sora, Donald and Goofy knew the area well, the others were amazed by all the wonderful and amazing things before them.

"This...This can't be real. It has to be a joke." Riku stuttered. Sora looked back with a smirk. Emil picked up a handful of snow and felt it.

"Sorry Riku. But this feels like real snow." Emil said.

"I find it rather awkward. If this "Santa Claus" fellow really does exist, then he's been living in an entirely different world." Tenebrae said. Marta giggled.

"I just can't believe it! He's really here! Oh wow!" Marta giggled. Sora and the others entered the square and saw the workshop before them.

"Well, this is it guys. Anyone care to go first?" Sora asked. He saw no one moved and figured they'd let him lead. Sora led the others in through the doors and as they entered Santa's chamber, they found St. Nick himself at his chair and reading his list. He chuckled the minute he saw Sora.

"Ho ho Sora. So nice to see you." Santa said. As Sora walked over, the others were frozen except for Donald and Goofy.

"No way. He really DOES exist." Riku thought. Sora asked Santa if he was on his "nice" list again and Santa checked, giving a happy smile as his answer.

"Don't worry Sora. You're on the nice list." Santa chuckled "And so are you too Donald and Goofy." Donald and Sora cheered.

"What about me Santa? My name's Kairi." Kairi asked. Santa looked and nodded. Kairi smiled and blushed. Everyone heard Marta nervously stutter.

"Uhh....Mr. Claus?" Marta asked "What about us?" Santa asked for their names and Marta went first. Santa looked at his list and found Marta's name with Emil.

"Ah. Yes. Here you are Marta." Santa said. Marta smiled and so did Emil when Santa told him too. Stitch went next and Santa told him that both him and Lilo were on Santa's list. Stitch sighed, happy that none of the mischief he caused changed anything. Sora saw that the last person left was Riku himself.

"Uhh....hi there. My name is....My name's Riku." Riku stuttered. Santa took a good look at Riku.

"Oh, I know who you are Riku. Seven years ago, you convinced Sora that I didn't exist. Bet you never thought I was real, now did you?" Santa chuckled. Riku blushed and looked away.

"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit Sora?" Santa asked. Sora told Santa about what Jack was trying to do and handed him the envelope.

"So Jack Skellington wants to have a little get together?" Santa asked.

"He's really sorry about what happened last time. And I am too. I had no idea that Oogie was going to cause all that trouble." Sora said. Santa told Sora he didn't have to apologize.

"So, will you come?" Donald asked.

"Well, I know Jack wouldn't really try and ruin anything. And I think he's learned his lesson by now. So....all right. Tell Jack I'll be coming to visit." Santa said. Sora and the others sighed.

"Thanks Santa. Thanks for giving Jack another chance." Sora said. Santa chuckled, again saying that he knew Jack learned his lesson. He invited the others to explore his workshop, something Marta and Emil jumped at the chance. As they headed on, Tenebrae remained behind.

"My word. I never actually thought you existed either. This is a predicament. I DO hope that you have the Centurions on your nice list Mr. Nicholas." Tenebrae muttered. Santa chuckled.

"Do not worry Tenebrae. You are fine. Believe me. You would probably guess how many people I've heard say they don't believe in me." Santa laughed. Back in Halloween Town, a scheme was brewing as the kids were setting up strange devices around town.

"Wow! This Kefka guy really knows his pranks. I can't believe WE didn't think of this sooner!" Lock said.

"Yeah. When these go off, the town's going to be covered in snakes, spiders and all that goop!" Shock added. Barrel laughed.

"This is gonna make everyone so steamed! This is our best gig ever." Barrel added. But as the three kids laughed, Kefka watched from afar. He sneered himself.

"I can't believe it. Those kids are such little nitwits. I TOLD them that this was going to be a gag. But what they're REALLY doing is filling the town with explosives! When they go off.......KABOOM! Halloween Town will be blown sky high!" Kefka exclaimed. He began to laugh insanely. But as Kefka was plotting also, he too was being watched. Those watching him were the Dark Knight and two more of his "allies", a revived Oogie Boogie and Luxord of Organization XIII.

"Hoo boy! Do I feel like a million bugs!" Oogie laughed "I REALLY owe ya one." The knight said he would be repaying him quite soon. He watched Kefka laughing, remembering what happened the last time.

"So, why are we keeping our eye on this fool of a clown anyway?" Luxord asked. The knight glanced at him.

"Because, I once gave that fool a chance to avoid his demise and come with me. But he decided poorly and chose to walk. When the time comes, he AND his friends will not be spared." the knight said. Oogie chuckled.

"So, what's da plan?" Oogie asked. The knight turned to them and he was glad Oogie asked that. Rejoining Sora in Christmas Town, Sora and the others were looking around Santa's workshop as Sora, Donald and Goofy watched the conveyor belts below.

"Wow. Remember what happened here last time?" Sora asked. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"It's a good thing that bag of bugs Oogie isn't around to ruin things." Donald said. Goofy agreed. Just then, Sora felt a strange presence nearby. He felt like he was going to be a bit dizzy. As Sora nearly stumbled over, Goofy grabbed him.

"Huh? Sora?" Donald asked. The others looked back and gasped.

"Sora? Sora! What's wrong?" Kairi asked. They all gathered around as Sora was set down by Goofy. Though Sora's body was left behind, his mind was in another dimension. Sora looked around and saw ruins of Halloween Town surrounding him.

"What the? Is this....Is this Halloween Town?" Sora muttered. He suddenly heard a voice calling to him. Sora quickly turned around to see a pale ghostly being before him. At it's side was a floating ghoulish Keyblade.

"Wait. Are....Are you one of the ancient Keybladers?" Sora asked. The ghost nodded, revealing it's name to be Phase.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Sora asked. Phase casted it's arm towards the former lab of Doctor Finklestein. He rewound time to show the kids planting the bomb on the wall nearby. Sora went over to look at it as the kids left. He was the mark of a grinning Kefka on it.

"Wait a second. That's....That's a bomb!" Sora exclaimed. He looked back at Phase and it nodded.

"Return Sora....return to Halloween Town....before it too late." Phase muttered. Sora was just about to before he asked for Phase's help in dealing with the Heartless.

"I shall return.....go Sora...." Phase moaned. It waved it's hand and brought Sora back to his body. Sora sat up.

"Sora. Are you all right? You just fainted there." Marta asked. Sora nodded, saying it was nothing. But Kairi was worried.

"Guys. We've GOT to warn Jack. I had some kind of vision that Lock, Shock and Barrel are gonna plant bombs all across Halloween Town!" Sora exclaimed. Goofy and Donald gasped.

"What?! Not those three BRATS again!" Donald squawked. Everyone hurried out of the workshop, only to find Santa gone.

"Oh no! Santa must've left to go see Jack! We gotta stop him!" Goofy exclaimed.

"Quick! Let's go after him! He couldn't have gotten too far!" Riku shouted. Everyone nodded and rushed out. However, once outside, they saw Toy Soldier and Search Ghost Heartless chasing after the elves.

"Heartless?! Here?!" Marta exclaimed. The Heartless heard Marta's yell and soon gazed at Sora.

"Oh great. Good work Marta. I don't even think they knew we were here yet!" Riku groaned. The Heartless began coming towards them. Kairi was scared, afraid of the Heartless slowly coming their way.

"Come on guys! Let's get them!" Sora shouted. But just as Sora was going to charge ahead, Kairi grabbed his hand.

"Sora! No! You almost passed out before! You need to rest. If you don't...." Kairi said. But just then, Sora and Kairi saw their hands glowing. And then with a giant flash, a powerful wave of light fired out and blinded the Heartless, obliterating them on contact.

"Whoa...." Emil said. Stitch whistled in amazement.

"Kairi. How did....How did you do that?" Sora asked. Kairi wasn't sure, adding that she never learned anything like that from Mulan.

"Whatever the case, we at least chased off the Heartless. Come on! We must hurry back to Halloween Town!" Tenebrae shouted. The group raced out of town and headed back for the tree door to Halloween Town. However, they found more Heartless there.

"Great! Not again!" Marta groaned. Sora looked at Kairi's hand and held it again, hoping for what happened to repeat. But nothing happened.

"Perfect. Looks like we're on our own." Sora said. The Heartless began drawing near before Sora and Riku stepped up to confront them. Together, Sora and Riku unleased Session and quickly cleared the path for the others. Everyone hurried on ahead and entered the door. Meanwhile, Santa was just passing through the Hinterlands.

"Forgot how scary a place this forest was." Santa said. But just then, he felt something coming his way. He looked up and there was Kefka.

"Greetings fat man! What brings you to THIS part of town?!" Kefka laughed. Santa slowly stepped back before he was suddenly leaped at from behind by Lock and the other kids.

"We got him Mister Kefka!" Lock shouted. Kefka laughed and clapped.

"Then come on you stupid kids! To town we go!" Kefka laughed. But as the kids went on with Santa in a black bag, Kefka looked back.

"Wait a second. What is...What is that I sense? It feels like.....a goody goody." Kefka thought. Kefka quickly thought of a plan as a devilish sneer came to his face.

"Change of plans kiddies! Bring the old fart to the graveyard and hide him! We've got company." Kefka chuckled. Sora and the others arrived in the forest, minutes after Kefka departed.

"Where is he? He COULDN'T have gotten that far ahead of us already. Did he?" Kairi asked. Just then, Stitch saw something by Sora's shoe. It looked like a note from Kefka.

"What's this?" Sora muttered. He slipped the note out from under his shoe and read it. The note said:

_Dear Kiddies,_

_If you want the fat man back, come to curl topped hill in five minutes sharp. Don't be late now._

_Kefka Palazzo_

"It appears that Santa has been abducted." Tenebrae said. Sora groaned and crumbled the note up. They raced towards town to find Jack. But luckily, they saw Jack out by the graveyard.

"Jack!" Sora called.

"Sora! Thank goodness you're back. I just saw Sandy Claws get dragged off by those little devils Lock, Shock and Barrel. They went in here." Jack said, pointing to the gate to Curly Hill.

"Jack! We've got another problem. I found out that Halloween Town is rigged with dynamite! You've GOT to get everyone out of town!" Sora exclaimed. Jack thought to himself for a moment.

"I THOUGHT I saw those kids doing something suspicious out in town earlier. All right. But first, let's go get those trouble making kids." Jack said. Sora worried if they would have time. He asked Riku and Stitch to head into town and evacuate everyone. Riku nodded and took Stitch and Marta with him. Everyone else followed Jack towards Curly Hill. They found Santa inside of the children's tub and Kefka sitting on the hill.

"Well, you don't take time, do you? I guess that can be expected from a goody goody." Kefka said. Sora and the others drew their weapons.

"Who are you?" Sora asked. Kefka chuckled.

"Silly boy. My name is Kefka Palazzo, soon to be RULER of this town!" Kefka laughed. He then rolled over laughing in midair.

"What are you planning to do with Sandy Claws?" Jack asked. Kefka asked if he meant the "old fart" and told him of his plans and how the kids have already set up his bombs in town. Unfortunately, the three kids heard Kefka.

"Wait a second. Those were REAL bombs?! No way!" Lock gasped.

"This guy's REALLY off his rocker!" Shock exclaimed. Just then, they noticed Kefka heard them.

"Oh dear. I hope you kids didn't hear that. But if you did, it just gives me a reason to kill all of YOU too." Kefka chuckled. With a snap, he conjured up a cage and trapped the three kids inside. He then snapped his fingers and giant Heartless appeared besides him. They were taking the shape of a large slinky, a metal soldier and a ball with a mean face. All three beared a Heartless emblem.

"Why you....! You WON'T get away with this!" Jack exclaimed. Kefka chuckled.

"Oh really? Well, I'd love to see you try then. How about we have a contest? Winner gets the fat man." Kefka chuckled. Kefka then drifted back into the middle of the three Heartless.

"Sora! Tie him down!" Shock exclaimed.

"Beat the stuffing out of him!" Barrel added.

"Get him!" Lock shouted. Sora turned to Kefka and took his battle stance.

"All right then. Let's PLAY Sora!" Kefka laughed with an insane smirk.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	39. Ch 39: Gambling with Lives

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 39: Gambling With Lives_**

Kefka flew through the air, throwing knives down at the others as the Heartless charged. The slinky headed for Emil and the shock from it's impact sent him flying.

"Tenebrae! Catch Emil!" Sora called. Tenebrae grabbed Emil in midiar with his tail and set Emil down.

"Thanks Tenebrae." Emil said. Sora tried to reach Kefka, but he was flying too high to reach. The insane clown laughed.

"Ha ha ha! You foolish children! You are just SO stupid!" Kefka laughed. But suddenly, Kefka fired three fire balls directly at them. Sora raised his Keyblade in defense, but the fire balls flew right past him.

"What the?!" Sora gasped. Kefka cackled.

"Let's have a little fireworks show! Shall we?!" Kefka laughed. With a snap, the fire balls imploded and sent raining fire down below. Donald's tail feathers were knicked.

"WAK!" Donald squawked. Kairi yelled and ducked behind Jack.

"So, you use magic eh? Well have a taste of MY magic!" Jack called. With a flick of his wrist, Jack fired ice crystals at Kefka. They broke through the fire and hit Kefka.

"Hey you! Watch the duds! They make me look handsome!" Kefka shouted. But suddenly, Sora hit Kefka with a Thundara attack and smoked his clothes.

"D'oh! That does it! Heartless! Eradicate that brat!" Kefka shouted. All three Heartless came towards Sora, but Emil came charging. He stabbed the ball Heartless with his blade and surprisingly popped it, destroying it on the spot.

"Huh. That was almost TOO easy." Emil said. But just then, he noticed the slinky toy coming his way. As the slinky was coming down at him, Kairi blocked with her Keyblade and flipped the giant toy over her head with a forceful swing. Kefka growled.

"Why you....! You've just made this clown MAD!" Kefka screamed. He suddenly clapped hands and sprouted wings from his back.

"Time for my...Havoc Wing strike!" Kefka exclaimed. He came diving like a bomber plane at Sora and Jack. But Kefka was sucked into their limit attack, Dance Call, when he got too close. The resulting attack threw Kefka into his Heartless where his pointed wings stabbed the Heartless and killed them. Kefka groaned. Kefka panted as he stood back up, wiping his face with his arm.

"Well, I'm just not....not myself today. I....I underestimated you. So I'll let you win for now." Kefka groaned. He flew up high before releasing the kids.

"But let me leave you with one bit of advice. Why create when it will only be destroyed? Why cling to life when you KNOW you have to die at some point? That's what we want to know. You'll fear the day you tussled with Kefka Palazzo, a member of the Chaos Legion!" Kefka exclaimed before poofing away. Jack worked quickly and freed Santa.

"My word. What is that clown's issue?" Santa asked.

"We're really sorry Santa. We had no idea this was going to happen. Honest." Kairi said. Santa dusted himself off, saying no harm was done. He looked at Jack.

"Surely you don't think I did this, do you Mister Claws?" Jack asked. Santa sighed, saying he didn't blame Jack for any of this.

"That's good. But come on! We've got to get back in town! The bombs Kefka planted might still be there!" Sora exclaimed. Remembering that, everyone hurried back towards town. But when they arrived, they were surprised at what they saw. The Halloween Town citizens were all tied together and Marta, Stitch and Riku were caught. Holding Marta over his shoulder was Oogie while Luxord held down Stitch and Riku. Also tied together was Sally and the Mayor.

"Jack! Jack! Help us!" the mayor shouted.

"Jack! Run!" Sally called. Oogie laughed.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? If it isn't old Jackie Skellington!" Oogie laughed. Jack growled.

"Oogie! What are YOU doing here you bag of bugs?!" Jack shouted. Oogie laughed, threatening them not to take a step closer or they would make shish kabob out of their friends.

"Emil.....help...." Marta moaned. Emil growled and his eyes flashed red, signifying Ratatosk taking over.

"Why you! Let her go!" Emil exclaimed. Just then, a corridor of darkness opened up to reveal the Dark Knight.

"You..." Sora growled. He drew his Keyblade, ready to strike. But the knight raised his hand before Sora could make a move.

"I thank you for ridding us of that foolish clown. But since you bothered coming after us, I do believe you're getting in our way now." the knight said. Sora huffed.

"Nothing new there. I'll ALWAYS be getting in your way!" Sora shouted. The knight just turned away and clasped both hands together. Both hands begun sparking black lightning.

"Hey. What you got there?" Goofy asked. The knight chuckled.

"Allow me to show you. Behold! The birth of a Lifeless!" the knight exclaimed. He proceeded to stab both Oogie and Luxord with both hands.

"Gah! What...What's going on?! What are you...?!" Luxord exclaimed. Oogie groaned in pain with the knight's hand piercing his cloth like skin.

"You both agreed to help me. That means I can have my way with you! Do not fear....for you will be reborn as an ultimate warrior of supreme power!" the knight exclaimed. He forcefully tore out two cores from both of their chests, marked with a Heartless and Nobody emblem, causing their bodies to vanish. Everyone gasped as Riku, Stitch and Marta were freed from their grips.

"Oogie and the Organization XIII member! They're...." Donald squawked. Kairi gasped.

"Now....behold the birth of a powerful creature! Come forth! My Lifeless!" the knight exclaimed. He forced both cores together and they shattered like glass. A giant flash was seen and a black figure was beginning to form. The resulted fusion created Luxord in his Organization XIII cloak, but he had Oogie's skin and large stomach.

"Guh. Disgusting." Luxord groaned. Sora and the others were in a shock.

"So, THAT'S how a Lifeless is born? I don't believe it." Tenebrae said. Sora groaned, realizing this was going to be trouble. Suddenly, Luxord laughed in Oogie's voice.

"That's right! I can feel it! The power swelling up inside of us! We're all powerful!" Oogie laughed. Luxord groaned, knocking himself in the head.

"Silence you fat imbecile! I've wanted revenge against this boy for what he did to me." Luxord said. But suddenly, Oogie fought back and hit Luxord.

"Hey! I was waiting before you were! Give it here!" Oogie's voice shouted. Luxord snapped his fingers and surrounded Sora's groups with cards. It cut off Donald, Goofy, Jack, Marta and Stitch from the others.

"Okay. You two want to fight? We'll give you a fight!" Sora shouted. Luxord chuckled.

"Very well. Let the games begin." Luxord said. He quickly ducked into a card and they were sent spinning around them.

"Where is he?" Kairi called.

"I don't know. But watch out! He might try to attack us when we're not....incoming!" Riku shouted. Everyone ducked as flying cards were sent flying around like shuriken.

"Ha ha! Can't catch what you can't see?! Too bad! But I see you!" Oogie's voice called. Suddenly, Sora looked back and he was rammed from behind by Luxord. Sora was knocked into the cards and his clothes got partially torn in the crossfire.

"Why you! Take this! Raging Havoc!" Ratatosk shouted. He dove for Luxord and nailed him with a Havoc attack. But Luxord leaped into the air and gave a whistle, summoning a Nobody emblemed buzzsaw. It went flying all around and nicked everyone.

"Kairi! You all right?" Sora called. Kairi nodded before one of Luxord's cards suddenly fell down on her.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed. He saw Kairi's scared face on the card that fell. She was trapped!

"Hmph. You should know this game Sora. If you want her back, you'll have to defeat me. Until then, I'll be taking this." Luxord said. He magically picked up Kairi's card and shuffled her away.

"Why you....!" Sora shouted. He threw his Keyblade at Luxord and it knocked his deck of cards right out of his hand.

"Hey! That's cheating! And I should know. So, here is the PENALTY!" Oogie's voice shouted. With a snap, he sent exploding dice raining down from above.

"Sora! Heads up!" Riku shouted. But just then, Sora looked at Marta and Emil, getting an idea.

"Hey! Emil! Marta! Ready for that new move we've been practicing?" Sora asked. The two nodded and rushed over to Sora. Sora and Emil clashed their weapons together and spun them as fast as they could. Marta joined in from below with her spinner. The resulting weapons created a giant twister that sucked up all the dice.

"Hey! What the...?! Whoa!" Luxord exclaimed as the twister sucked him in too. When the twister ended, Luxord was thrown into the air with the dice. There were so many that they completely surrounded them.

"You....are such.....a DOLT." Luxord muttered. All of the dice exploded at once, completely blasting the newly born Lifeless into shreds. A heart floated into the air before being eradicated completely. With Luxord gone, his deck evaporated and Kairi returned.

"Whoa. What....What happened?" Kairi asked. Sora quickly hugged Kairi.

"Kairi! You're all right!" Sora exclaimed. Kairi blushed and looked away.

"Oh. Glad to know you worried about me." Kairi smiled. The knight groaned, but they suddenly saw Kefka return. He was laughing in midair above them.

"Whaddya know you fuddy dud knight! Looks like YOUR plan failed as well! I saw you! I knew you were watching me! So, I came back to finish....my job." Kefka said. He drew a small detonation switch, marked with his grin, and laughed.

"One push of this button....and Halloween Town is history!" Kefka screamed. But the remote was suddenly knocked out of his hand by a slingshot.

"Gah!" Kefka groaned. He looked down and saw Lock, Shock and Barrel.

"Get out of here you psycho!" Lock shouted. Kefka growled and vanished again, leaving a "calling card" behind, a card with his grin. With disaster avoided, Jack tried once again to have that party planned for Santa. But the jolly old man was just wanting to head back home after the chaos that happened.

"Oh. Okay. I'm really sorry Santy Claws. I never thought this would happen. Honest." Jack said. Santa sighed.

"Once again Jack, I don't blaim you for any of this. I'm just glad it's all over now." Santa said. Figuring this was it, Sora asked Jack if he still wanted to come traveling with them.

"Traveling with YOU Sora? Why I'd be delighted." Jack chuckled. He shook Sora's hand, suddenly causing a flash of light.

"Whoa! What...What's that?" the kids gasped. Sora knew what this meant. Jack's hand gave off a light and it shot up, revealing the Keyhole above. Sora prepared to seal it when he saw Phase.

"Thank you.....Keyblader..." Phase said. Together, Sora and Phase fired twin beams of light and locked the keyhole.

"What was that?" the Mayor asked. Sora chuckled.

"That's our sign that it's time to go. Take care everyone." Sora said. He waved to them as everyone left, including Jack.

"See you later everyone! When I return, I'll have stories to tell! I promise!" Jack called, full of excitement. The group left town as we switch to the inside of the dark castle within Radiant Gardens, where Maleficent and Pete plotted. In the room were various villains, the other members of the Chaos Legion.

"What do you have to say for yourself....Kefka Palazzo?" a woman's voice asked. Kefka groaned.

"Hey! Don't blaim me! That little twerp with the key! He got in the way!" Kefka shouted. The woman glanced back at Kefka.

"Did you say....Keyblade? Hmm. I think I understand. The Keyblader has already made his move. It seems that we're a bit late in this. But either way, both he and the knight will know what can become of them....should they mess with the Chaos Legion." the woman said. The woman was revealed to be the leader of the Chaos Legion, Ultimecia. With her and Kefka were it's other three members, Kuja, the Emperor and Cloud of Darkness.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	40. Ch 40: Christmas Fantasies

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 40: Christmas Fantasies_**

Today, in Radiant Gardens, Sora and the others were taking the chance to rest after their battles in Halloween Town. Unfortunately for them, Jack was really thrilled about the new world he came too and was out checking out the town.

"Should we be worrying about that guy?" Seifer asked. Sora just shrugged. Riku figured that Jack wouldn't get into any real trouble and went back to the base with Sora. Around Sora's neck, he kept something that was from Phase back in Halloween Town. He wore a small clip around his shirt collar.

"We seem to be doing a good job finding the ancient Keybladers, aren't we Riku?" Sora asked.

"Yeah. Considering they've been coming to you mostly." Riku chuckled.

"And...is that supposed to mean something?" Sora asked. Riku sighed and just shrugged. He told Sora to forget about it as they arrived at the base. But as Sora opened the door, they found something that surprised both of them. Kairi was setting up little Christmas ornaments all around.

"Uhhhh....Kairi? What's going on?" Sora asked. Kairi set tinsel down on the table when she saw them.

"Oh. Hi guys. You can probably guess what I've been doing while you were gone." Kairi said. Riku asked what was going on and Kairi explained that she was so excited about Christmas since they met Santa that she couldn't help but try and have her own miniature holiday gathering.

"Do the others know?" Sora asked. But that was pointed out to be obvious when they saw Rikku and Marta passing by with more boxes.

"Hey Sora. Glad you're back." Marta said. Sora scratched his head.

"I guess that's a yes." Riku said. Lloyd came in with something peculiar on his head. It appeared to be a Santa hat.

"Hey guys. I guess I don't know whether to say "Welcome back" or "Merry Christmas." Lloyd chuckled. Colette chuckled as she passed by Lloyd.

"You're so cute dressed like that Lloyd. You really fit the bill of Santa Claus." Colette chuckled. Lloyd blushed and looked away. But he soon started laughing when he saw Genis dressed as an elf.

"Really? At least you don't have to wear this cheesy outfit." Genis groaned. Raine came by, dressed in the same outfit but in an adult size. She chuckled and patted Genis' head.

"What is wrong Genis? You always loved wearing this when Christmas came." Raine said. Genis huffed and looked away. Sora chuckled.

"You know? I think Kairi's got the right idea. Besides, it only be for tonight." Sora said. Riku sighed.

"I swear, my friends are all such goofballs." Riku chuckled. Sora and Kairi looked at him with a silly smirk.

"What was that Riku? Care to say that again?" they asked before everyone laughed. Riku figured he better "warn" Leon and the others of their plans and went to tell them. Riku stepped out, spotting Emil standing alone outside. Marta saw him from the nearby window and started to worry.

"Emil? What's wrong?" Marta asked. Emil sighed.

"I think it's nice that we're having a little Christmas party tonight. But....." Emil said. Marta figured Emil must've still been worried about Richter.

"This is about Richter, isn't it?" Marta asked. Emil nodded. Marta sighed and rested her hand on Emil's shoulder.

"Well, even though he did some bad things, I think we can still wish him some holiday cheer. And no matter where you are, like Sora said, your hearts can bring you back together again. After all, that's how we met again, right?" Marta smiled. Emil smiled too, blushing a bit too.

"Thanks Marta." Emil said. Marta then asked Emil if he could help her find Jack so they could tell him. Emil nodded and hurried off. We switch to Halloween Town and find Santa watching them in a miniature globe in his hand.

"Ho ho ho, those kids. They've got their Christmas cheer a bit early, haven't they?" Santa chuckled. He looked away for a moment before thinking of an idea.

"I think I know just what to do about this." Santa said. Back in Radiant Gardens, Sora and the others were all working together and in a matter of a few hours, they transformed their team base into a Christmas party.

"Phew. Done." Rikku sighed. Bolt and Dug were happy too, wagging their tails.

"All right. Now we just got to find Jack before we can get the next step underway." Sora said. Lilo still couldn't believe Sora found a new team ally that was an actual skeleton and asked Stitch if there were werewolves or zombies. Stitch nodded, making Lilo wish she was there too. Jack came back with Marta and Emil.

"So, I heard the news. We're having a Christmas gathering are we? Then you have, with you, the professional wiz when it comes to this." Jack chuckled. Sora, Donald and Goofy sighed.

"Well, okay then. Anyway, come on Regal. We've got a bit of work to do ourselves." Zelos said. Regal nodded and joined Zelos. Soon, everyone was divided up. Regal and Zelos looked for a tree, Kronk went grocery shopping and that left everyone else for a little "Christmas shopping" enjoyment. In town, Sora found Leon talking with Yuffie and Cloud.

"Hey. There's Leon. Wonder what's up." Sora thought. Sora walked over and asked Leon what was up.

"Sora, perfect timing. We heard from your friend Riku that you met a clown named Kefka back on your last trip. Is that right?" Leon asked. Sora thought of Kefka's disturbing smile.

"Yeah. We met him. The guy's completely insane or something. But, we still kicked his butt." Sora smirked. Leon sighed.

"Sora, Kefka is no easy pushover. You should be lucky he didn't seem in the mood to fight seriously. He's a serious threat and his insanity only matches his craving for destruction." Cloud said. Sora asked how they knew about Kefka.

"We knew about Kefka. He and the Chaos Legion have been causing problems for us before you showed up again. And now that you said you saw him, it's got us worried that the gang might be acting up again." Yuffie said. Sora asked what the Chaos Legion was.

"They're a gang of some of our worst enemies. They're out to not only destroy this town, but all of the other worlds too. Their leader is someone I quite despise, Ultimecia. She's a witch." Leon said. Sora asked if she was like Maleficent and Leon shrugged, guessing they must've been somewhat alike.

"Well, okay Leon. If you ever need us to look into the Legion's doings, we'd be happy to help." Sora said. Cloud huffed, surprised to hear Sora he could take on two evil groups like this.

"Hey! I beat the Nobodies and the Heartless a while ago too ya know!" Sora shouted. Yuffie chuckled, looking away. Sora figured Cloud was joking and soon got the hint. But before he left, he reminded them of their little "get together" tonight.

"Don't worry Sora! Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Yuffie called. Sora nodded and rushed off. While out, Sora also invited Scrooge to join them and he laughed, saying he would love to. Later on that evening, everyone met together again inside the team base. Their party was underway and everyone was gathered in the kitchen for Kronk's Christmas feast.

"Wow. This stuff really smells good Kronk." Zelos said. Kronk chuckled.

"Well, you know me. When you're good with a pot, you're a chef." Kronk said. Stitch looked ready to eat everything before being held down by Lilo and Genis.

"Oh no you don't! You're gonna wait your turn! You got it?!" Genis shouted. Stitch groaned.

"Sorry Stitch. But Kronk just doesn't like it when you go on an eating rampage." Lilo said. The others nervously chuckled, looking away.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's eat!" Pete cheered. Everyone agreed and picked their plates as Kronk passed out the food.

"This looks so good." Genis said. But one look at Stitch made Genis worry, especially since Stitch's mouth seemed to be drooling. Soon, the committee stopped by to join the party, surprising them with the inclusion of Paine and Vincent.

"Whoa. I didn't think you guys would have any holiday spirit. That's kind of a shocker." Marta said. Paine looked away with a huff.

"Yeah? Well, guess you don't know us that well yet, do you?" Paine asked. Marta guessed not and went on to eat. But just then, they saw something drifting down. It looked like snow.

"What's that?" Sheena asked. Just then, they heard sleigh bells coming from the roof above.

"Wait a second. That sound...." Mickey said. Donald and Goofy froze.

"No! It couldn't be!" Ludwig gasped.

"But....is it? Is that Santa?!" Emil exclaimed. Everyone rushed outside and there was Santa Claus in his sleigh and snow came down from above.

"Ho ho ho everyone! Merry Christmas!" Santa laughed. Lilo and Stitch gasped.

"Santa?! But...how did you...?!" Sora gasped. Santa chuckled and told him that he heard about their party and wanted to help with the decorating.

"Wow. This is....This is so cool." Genis said. Raine was awestruck, almost appearing to be going into "Ruin Mode" again.

"This is so cool. It really IS Santa Claus." Lloyd said. Santa laughed again and reached for the bag in his sleigh. He threw it down to them and they found gifts inside, one for everyone.

"Wow! That's a lot of gifts! Look at them all!" Rikku exclaimed. Auron smirked.

"Best post Christmas party I ever got invited to." Auron chuckled. Sora, Kairi and Riku watched as Santa was flying away in his sleigh, wishing them the merriest of evening.

"You too Santa! And thank you!" Sora called. Everyone waved as Santa's sleigh went flying away out of sight.

"So, how about our dinner? It's gonna get cold. Not to mention.....I just saw Stitch going back inside." Kronk said. Everyone gasped and looked back, seeing Stitch sneaking in.

"Hold it right there you! You're not getting all of that for yourself!" Sheena exclaimed.

"Come on guys! Feast time!" Yuffie called. Everyone headed back inside and quickly sat down to eat. After dinner, everyone shared their presents with each other and good cheer could be heard all around. Jack even offered some of his "famous" egg nog from back home. However, everyone froze when they saw strange things floating in their glasses.

"Eww....Jack? What exactly is IN this stuff?" Leon asked.

"Well, it's only my secret recipe. I figured....if Sandy Claws could make egg nog, then so can I." Jack chuckled. Everyone groaned and looked away, some almost throwing up.

"Uhh....how about some carols everyone?" Scrooge asked. Everyone agreed and joined together for a few songs, leaving Jack to feast on his "special" nog. When it was getting late, everyone decided to turn in and went to bed.

"Best night ever." Sora muttered. But as he went to sleep, he soon heard a ghostly voice saying something. Roxas could hear it too.

"Ro......xass......" the voice muttered. Roxas looked around, trying to spot the voice. It sounded familiar.

"Axel? Is that you?" Roxas asked.

"Roxas......come to......the realm of nothing......we....need you...." Axel's voice moaned. Suddenly, Roxas felt like the voice was gone completely.

"Axel? Was that you?" Roxas asked himself.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	41. Ch 41: Descent into Nothing

_**Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon**_

_**Chapter 41: Descent into Nothing**_

On a Gummi Ship, flying through space, a small group was heading out from Radiant Gardens and were heading back towards the prison. On the ship was Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Sheena and Presea.

"So, why are we going back again?" Riku asked.

"Because....I think me and Roxas heard some strange voice calling to us and it felt like it was coming from the prison." Sora said. Sheena also added that when Cid did a scan of the prison once with Leon, they discovered there was a strange energy signature coming from inside also.

"What kind of reading?" Kairi asked. Sheena wasn't sure. Cid said it was some really weird, bizarre energy that seemed to be forming into a portal.

"I talked with Leon too and he mentioned that it seemed like it was similar to energy given from the Nobodies." Sora said. Riku huffed.

"Nobodies? We defeated all of them." Donald said. Goofy nodded.

"Well, maybe we found how the Nobodies are coming to join the Dark Knight with his Lifeless." Sora said. Presea guessed the prison had to have been the place since they were making Lifeless there. Sheena chuckled.

"That's why we brought this baby with us." Sheena said. She held a bomb under her right arm.

"Cid designed this to help quell the energy before something could happen to it. When it goes off, this might stop those....Nobodies, was it?" Sheena asked. Sora nodded. This could also halt the Dark Knight from creating anymore Lifeless. Just then, Goofy saw something ahead of them. They could all see the prison before them.

"I never thought I'd willingly come back here." Presea said. Sheena patted Presea's head, reminding her that she was no longer a prisoner and the prison was pretty much deserted at this point. Presea nodded, still spooked a bit that she was even coming back.

"Well, if you want to Presea, you can wait in here." Sora offered. But taking one last look as they landed, Presea agreed to follow Sora. The ship landed on the docking bay in back and proceeded inside. They entered on the bottom floor, home to the former Warden Cage's office.

"Here we are. Gawrsh, it's REALLY scary when no one is here." Goofy shuddered. Donald looked around and nodded in agreement. Sheena reached into her jacket and took out a small scanner, a energy scanner she picked up from Cid.

"Good thing we have this AND having me with you." Sheena said. Sora chuckled as Sheena eyed him.

"What? It was me or Yuffie and you chose me. Besides, did you see that disappointed look on Yuffie's face?" Sheena chuckled. Sora shook his head and sighed.

"Come on. Let's just check this out guys." Sora said. Everyone agreed and they started following Sheena as they entered the prison. All the prison cell doors were opened, showing Yuffie was true to her word when she said she freed everyone. Presea gave a quick smile before looking ahead.

"Wow. This place....it feels so cold." Kairi muttered. Riku looked around.

"I can't believe the knight had such a horrible place to keep his prisoners. I feel sorry for everyone who was locked up here." Riku said. As everyone continued, Sheena saw the scanner was picking up the energy again. It was coming from the lower level.

"Wait. There's a basement here? I didn't think there was." Sora said. Presea didn't hear of one either, making this a bit of a surprise to her too. Goofy then asked if they should be worrying about this place being full of Nobodies now.

"What? Goofy. Come on. I don't think the Nobodies would be here." Riku said. Just then, they heard a strange sound and suddenly, they were surrounded by Dusk and Assassin Nobodies!

"Nobodies?! Where did they...?!" Sora gasped. Riku groaned, hating the fact he was wrong again. Facing the Nobodies, everyone drew their weapons and took them on. The Assassins slinked across the floor and attacked Presea and Sora. But with her strength, a mere strike to the floor caused Presea to force them all out and flung them into the air.

"Awesome Presea!" Sheena called. She threw seals at them and exploded upon impact. Sora and Donald used Comet together and Goofy joined in, sending more Nobodies flying with his shield.

"Sora! Behind you!" Kairi called before two Dusks leaped at her and Sora. The Nobodies soon started to gather around Kairi, surrounding her. Luckily, Kairi managed to call for Yang and the fusion blew the Nobodies away. She stood up, dressed in Yang's pink shinobi outfit and quickly struck down the Nobodies before joining Sora.

"Oh man! There's no end to these things." Riku groaned. Just then, Sheena stepped in front of the Nobodies and threw a flash bomb to the floor. The resulted explosion created a hole and the Nobodies all fell down it.

"Come on! We should keep going before they come back. We can't waste time." Sheena said. Everyone agreed and joined Sheena in rushing off. Having shaken the Nobodies, everyone found a hidden elevator to the basement and when they descended, they found a hidden laboratory within the basement. They also saw a swirling white portal.

"That must be the reading Cid and Leon found." Presea said. Sheena agreed, checking out the scanner. Sora slowly approached the gate, almost seemed to be being controlled by Roxas and making him go there.

"Sora! Wait a minute!" Riku called.

"Sorry Riku. But if whoever is calling to me and Roxas is beyond here, we have to check it out." Sora said. Just then, the communicator in Sora's pocket vibrated and he picked up Cid. He asked how things were going and Sora explained what has happened so far.

"Ah. So a Nobody portal? Hmm. I think I have an idea. If this is how the Nobodies are coming here to help the knight with his Lifeless, then maybe we ought to do a little sweep inside. Surely this isn't the only way he's been rounding up Nobodies." Cid said. Sora agreed, saying he was thinking the same thing. Cid asked for Sheena and after passing it to her, Cid explained to Sheena about the plan and how to set up the bomb.

"So, what are we going to do?" Donald asked.

"What do you mean Donald? You heard Cid. He thinks we should give a sweep of the Nobody's world. With luck, maybe we can shut down the Dark Knight's attempts to gather more Nobodies, for that matter, or Organization XIII members." Sora said. Goofy and Kairi agreed, but this made Riku unsure.

"Don't worry Riku. With the luck you and I have had, we're bound to find a way out too." Sora said. But before Sora could step in, Sheena gave the communicator back to Sora.

"Hey Sora, you guys should definetly check out the inside of that portal. I'm picking up a lot of weird energy signatures coming from your position and I think something is up. But don't worry. Thanks, I guess, to help from that crazy duck, we've got our own transporter to get you guys back." Cid said. Sora thanked Cid and hung up.

"You're going?" Presea asked. Sora nodded. He asked the others if they were in and Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Riku all agreed.

"If you're going, so are we. Remember what Kairi said?" Riku asked. Sora turned to Kairi.

"We agreed that where one of us go, we'd all go." Kairi said. Sheena could see the determined looks on their faces and smirked.

"Just like Lloyd." Sheena thought.

"Good luck guys. We'll wait for you back in Radiant Gardens." Presea said. Sora thanked Presea and shook her hand. Sheena also wished them luck and asked them to definitely come back alive.

"If you know us well enough, you know that's ALWAYS a definite." Sora chuckled. Saying one last goodbye, Sora and his friends entered the portal as Sheena began setting up the bomb. With it set, Sheena and Presea backed up just as the timer set ended and it exploded. The blast destroyed the portal, trapping Sora and the others in the other world.

"There. Now no more Nobodies. But Sora, you better come back." Sheena said. Meanwhile, in the other side, Sora and the others safely arrived in the empty world. They found themselves in the Realm of Nothing, the world of the deceased Nobodies. Nothing was around them for miles.

"Here we are. This must be the Nobodies realm." Sora said. Everyone looked around at the blank white abyss.

"This is....so weird. This place is so empty." Riku said. Kairi agreed, saying it gave her the creeps. Donald thought that if this was the Nobodies realm, it fit them perfect.

"I guess. Nobodies don't have hearts, so it would make sense that this place should have nothing here." Sora said. Taking aside the emptiness, everyone continued on through the empty realm. They must've traveled for ten minutes and still no sign of life.

"Sora? Are you sure Roxas and you heard someone calling you here? It's pretty deserted." Riku said. Just then, they all heard "Of course I did!" in Roxas' voice. And in a flash, Sora saw Roxas besides him.

"Roxas?!" Sora gasped.

"What? Didn't think I would show up here too? Come on Sora. I AM your Nobody." Roxas said.

"As am I." a voice said. Kairi looked and saw Naminé.

"Naminé. I should have guessed you could exist here too." Kairi said. Naminé smiled.

"We're Nobodies too. And I guess, in this world, all Nobodies can exist." Roxas said. Sora tried putting this together before they heard someone laughing.

"That's right! Nobodies DO exist here! And it so happens...that THESE Nobodies are out for revenge key bearer!" a voice called. Soon, they heard a whole bunch of laughter around them.

"Wak! Was that....Organization XIII?!" Donald squawked. Suddenly, they all watched as a group of cloaked figures warped in front of them. They were the remains of Organization XIII, with about six members missing. The remaining few were Xigbar, Lexeaus, Zexion, Vexen, Larxene, Saix and their new leader, Marluxia.

"Wow! Organization XIII!" Goofy yelped. Everyone drew their weapons and grouped together. Xigbar caught sight of Roxas.

"Heh. Look who it is boys. If it isn't the betrayer....Roxas." Xigbar said. Roxas groaned.

"What's THAT supposed to mean? I left on my own terms!" Roxas shouted. Naminé tried to calm Roxas down, asking him not to lose his temper.

"I had a feeling we would see all of you here too. Guess life in this world isn't all it's cracked up to be, isn't it?" Sora joked. Marluxia chuckled.

"Still the same clueless fool as before, aren't you Sora?" Marluxia said. But just then, Sora felt confused. He couldn't identify Marluxia so quickly as he did him.

"Wait. Who....Who are you? I don't remember meeting you." Sora said. Naminé gasped, remembering his memories of Castle Oblivion were erased.

"Oh no. Sora..." Naminé thought. Marluxia chuckled, realizing Naminé must've repaired Sora's broken memories.

"Don't remember me? Well, maybe THIS will help!" Marluxia shouted. He suddenly grabbed his scythe and charged at Sora. When their blades met, Sora felt a spark inside his memory and everything started rushing back. Naminé could feel that Marluxia's blow broke her actions and started to free Sora's memories of Castle Oblivion. When Sora remembered everything, he growled.

"Now I remember you....Marluxia!" Sora shouted. Donald and Goofy gasped.

"Well, it's good that you remember me now. Because, it'll be all you'll need of me....when we get our vengeance on you! Everyone! Attack!" Marluxia shouted. The others summoned their weapons and came at Sora's group. The two sides met in a ferocious clash as Donald fought Xigbar, Goofy struggled with Vexen, Riku fought back Zexion, Kairi tried to outdodge Larxene and Sora fought Marluxia.

"Guys! Look out!" Sora shouted. Sora broke away from Marluxia and came charging. Roxas joined Sora at his side, swinging Keyblades together at him. Marluxia jumped back and yelled, coming at them with his swinging scythe.

"Whoa!" Roxas shouted. The fight continued on for a while, everyone giving all the strength they had. However, as they fought, Sora and Riku started to notice something.

"What's going on? I thought....this much fighting would start to wear them out." Sora said. Marluxia laughed.

"Sorry to tell you this! But in this world, we Nobodies are NEVER tired! We are invincible in here!" Marluxia shouted. Sora groaned, but Roxas suddenly came at Marluxia and attacked.

"Then...if Nobodies can't be exhausted so easily, then I can't lose to you either!" Roxas shouted. Marluxia growled as the two struggled against each other. Sora rushed to help, but soon found himself under attack from Saix.

"This is your resting place Keyblader. None of you will leave here alive." Saix said. But just as he was about to attack again, a small wheel of fire came at them and stopped inbetween them. Saix looked, seeing a red chakram under the fire.

"Axel..." Saix groaned. Just then, they all heard someone chuckle.

"Heh. See you still remember me Saix. By the way, what are you DOING attacking our guests?" the voice said. Everyone looked ahead to see Axel approaching them. Sora and Roxas gasped.

"Axel!" they both shouted. Marluxia groaned.

"What are YOU doing here traitor?!" Larxene growled. Axel smirked.

"Who said I'm a traitor? It's my JOB to eliminate traitors. Besides, you guys are acting rather traitorous right now. I called for these guys....we need their help." Axel said. Suddenly, Sora seemed a bit disturbed.

"Wait. YOU need OUR help?! So what? So you can try and take over the worlds again?!" Sora shouted. Axel raised his hand.

"Nope. That was Xemnas' ideas, THIS is our problem." Axel said. Saix sighed.

"Please Axel, we do not need their help in this matter." Saix said. Axel asked Saix to please shut up while he was talking, but that provoked Saix into accidentally saying his real name, Lea. Everyone froze as Axel saw Sora and Roxas eyeing him. Soon, they all broke into laughter.

"Lea?! THAT is your real name Axel?! Oh man!" Sora laughed. Donald and Goofy laughed too, as did Kairi and Riku. Axel groaned.

"Great. There goes a guy's dignity." Axel groaned. Trying to hold back his laugh, Roxas asked Axel what was happening.

"Glad you asked old chum. You see, it's like this...." Axel said. He began to explain about the Dark Knight coming in and abducting Nobodies like crazy, including Xaldin, Luxord and Xemnas.

"Wait. So....Xemnas is gone?" Riku asked. Axel nodded.

"Oh great. That must mean he's out there somewhere....again." Riku said. Roxas groaned, just thinking about Xemnas.

"But don't worry. With you guys here, I think we can finally put this guy down for good. I've been watching the way this weird knight guy keeps coming in and I think we've traced the exact point from where he's been appearing from." Axel said. He asked for their help in destroying the gate way that led the knight in here.

"Uhhh...sure. We can do that. Besides, that's what we came to do too. Let's go." Sora said. Axel nodded and agreed to lead their way. However, the other Organization XIII members sat this one out, appauled to think of helping Sora.

"Sticks in the mud." Axel sighed.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	42. Ch 42: Awaken Xion

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 42: Awaken Xion_**

Following Axel, the group pressed onto where the Dark Knight has been seen coming into their world. Donald was still a bit spooked that there was still nothing on for miles.

"So Roxas, how've you been? I've seen your still not joining us yet." Axel said. Roxas asked what that meant and Axel chuckled.

"It means....you know. You found your original self, that makes you not like us yet." Axel said. Roxas and Sora glanced at another and smiled. Kairi smiled, thinking this was the same for Naminé. Axel then asked Roxas how Xion was doing.

"Who? Xion?" Roxas asked. Axel just realized that Xion's memories had already faded away.

"Oh. That's right. Uhh....never mind." Axel said. Sora was interested about Xion at that moment, never have met her himself.

"Who's Xion?" Sora asked. Axel was going to say but he soon fell silent again. Within a few minutes, they reached their destination. Ahead of them, they saw another working portal.

"Is that it?" Goofy asked.

"Well, that's where I'm guessing our visitor keeps coming from. It's not working right now. But I bet that knight won't be too happy if we break it." Axel said. Sora smirked and drew his Keyblade.

"Then time for a little demolition." Sora said. Axel chuckled and summoned his chakrams. Sora and Axel charged for the portal and attacked it with all of their strength. Unable to sustain the pressure, the portal was finally smashed after Sora's finishing attack.

"Yes! We got it!" Sora exclaimed. The others sighed with relief.

"That means no more Dark Knight for a while." Riku said. Just then, another person groaned.

"And it also means I'm not going anywhere either. Do you kids realize what you just did?" the voice said. Riku gasped.

"No way. Is....Is that....?" Riku stuttered. They all looked back and standing before them, in his red cloak, was Ansem the Wise. The others gasped.

"Wait a minute! You're.....You're...!" Sora stuttered. Ansem got a good look at their faces before he remembered.

"Sora? Riku? My, what a surprise to see all of you here." Ansem said. But just then, he saw the angry expression on Roxas.

"Roxas?" Naminé asked. Roxas looked away from Ansem, remembering him as DiZ in his dream world. Ansem just remembered and apologized to Roxas for what he did to him. But despite that, Roxas still remained silent. He figured that Roxas was not going to listen to him yet.

"I thought something around here seemed fishy. So, you working with that knight old man?" Axel asked.

"Me? Working for that evil man? Of course not. I'd never help him. Despite him asking for my assistance, I ultimately refused. But, thanks to you, my dimensional escape portal is all but ruins." Ansem said. Sora groaned, looking back at the ruined portal and apologized.

"It is all right Sora. You must've come here looking for that knight. And I know you must have questions for me. Please. Follow me." Ansem said. He led the group to another site, where he kept some of his tools that he kept in his coat.

"How are you even here? I thought that explosion killed you." Riku asked. Ansem chuckled.

"As did I Riku. I thought for sure I was going to perish from that blast. But rather than dying, I found myself transported here to the Nobodies world instead." Ansem said "Since then, I've begun to try and escape." Axel asked if that's what the portal was for and Ansem nodded.

"It was supposed to be an all purpose transporter. I was trying to drill through the wall that seals away our two worlds, this one and the real world." Ansem said. Naminé asked how things were going and Ansem sadly replied that no success was of yet. Axel then wondered why he even bothered building the piece of junk.

"Ansem, you said you met the knight, right? Did he say anything about a project for the Lifeless?" Sora asked. Ansem nodded.

"Indeed. The first time he came here, I met him directly. He asked for my knowledge of the Heartless and Nobodies so it would further benefit his goal. But I refused and turned my back to him. But that didn't stop him from abducting the Nobodies from around here." Ansem said. Riku told Ansem exactly what has happened since they last saw him and he was quite proud of their accomplishments.

"We came here in hopes that we could shut down the knight's plans." Kairi added. Ansem sighed.

"Sadly, it's not possible. He uses Corridors of Darkness to enter between worlds. And as of yet, there's no way to neutralize it. However, I may have something in development that might help." Ansem said. When Roxas asked what, he showed them a small yellow pin he kept in his coat.

"A pin?" Donald asked.

"More than that. It's a special badge that I developed, harnessing a strong force similar to the light. If we can get this on the knight's armor, it will be able to break his ties and prevent him from using Corridors of Darkness." Ansem said. Sora glanced at his friends and decided they would be happy to do it for him.

"Thank you Sora. I knew I could count on you." Ansem said.

"Yes. Always leave the important jobs to the key bearer, is that how it is?" a voice asked. Everyone suddenly saw a dark corridor opening and there was the Dark Knight.

"You again?! What have you come for now?" Ansem groaned. The knight glared at Sora and Roxas.

"I had a funny feeling I would be seeing this rat again." the knight said. Just then, he could somehow feel a strange energy radiating from within Roxas.

"So, this is your energy. Isn't it....Xion?" the knight asked. Roxas suddenly gasped.

"Whoa! Back up a second. How do YOU know about Xion?!" Axel asked. The knight chuckled and told him he wasn't alone on this trip. He invited a friend, one who knows about Xion. From the corridor, the strange white hooded figure appeared. It was the same one that attacked Riku at Radiant Gardens.

"You? But....how do you...?" Riku asked. Suddenly, the hood was pulled back to show the face of Xemnas!

"Xe....Xemnas!" Sora and Riku exclaimed. The knight corrected them by saying this was no longer Xemnas, but the Lifeless known as Xehanort. Sora and Ansem gasped.

"How nice to see all of you again.....as well as the traitor." Xemnas said. Roxas growled. Xemnas turned to Roxas and he felt some weird power building up inside him.

"There she is. I can feel your presence. It is time." Xemnas said. The knight nodded and drew his blade. The blade started to glow pitch black as the knight suddenly charged for Roxas. But as Roxas rose his blade for defense, he vanished.

"What?! Where did he....?!" Roxas exclaimed before suddenly being hit from behind. Roxas groaned as the Dark Knight had appeared and drove his blade into Roxas' back. With the sword pulled out, Roxas could feel something vibrating inside of him.

"It is time! Awaken Xion! Unleash your destruction!" the knight shouted. Sora and the others watched in fear as Roxas was yelling and clutching his chest. Sora quickly demanded Axel tell them who Xion was.

"Okay! Okay! She's a replica the boss made of you kid! She was meant to take your place and absorb Roxas. But that all backfired and Roxas ended up absorbing her. She's a clone of you!" Axel shouted. Sora was speechless as suddenly, something was fired out of Roxas' chest. Across the ground, a black hooded figure tumbled and crashed.

"Oh boy. Here she is." Axel muttered. The cloaked figure slowly began to rise, as did Roxas. The hood on the cloak was thrown off and everyone saw a black haired girl with blue eyes.

"Is...Is she Xion?" Kairi asked. Axel nodded, telling them that they probably wanted to step back a bit. Xion groaned, looking around at the empty world.

"What? Where....Where am I?" Xion muttered. She stood straight up before her eyes caught Sora, Riku and Roxas.

"Oh no. Not you!" Xion gasped.

"What? Me?" Sora asked. Xion growled and drawing a Kingdom Key, she came charging for Sora. She screamed as she attacked, causing Sora to block her attack.

"Whoa! What's your deal?!" Sora exclaimed. Xion growled.

"You! You can't be here! You...You have to go! Just die!" Xion screamed. She forced Sora away and attacked again, this time blocked by Riku.

"Snap out of this! What's wrong?!" Riku shouted. Xion snarled and leaped back. The knight chuckled as Naminé watched.

"What did you do to her?!" Naminé shouted. The knight said he only forcefully separated the two. However, the forced awakening caused Xion to revert to how she was before Roxas defeated her, slightly insane and not wanting Sora to exist. The darkness also drove her to attack.

"What? Oh no! Sora!" Kairi gasped. Xion eyed all three boys as they drew their Keyblades.

"No! No! Stay away from me!" Xion screamed. Suddenly, she was encased in armor, the same armor that she first used against Roxas.

"Die!" she screamed. She suddenly lunged for them, just narrowly dodging her. Xion made a turn and was coming back for Sora. But she was attacked by Roxas when he swung his blade into Xion's face. With Xion freed, Roxas could only use one Keyblade and it was the Oblivion.

"Xion! Don't do this! Stop!" Axel shouted. But Xion looked at Axel and growled.

"Don't get in my way! Or I'll kill all of you too!" Xion shouted. She drew her blade and came charging again. Her blade met with Sora until she broke away and unleashed a Sonic Blade and slashed through Sora and Roxas.

"Stop!" Kairi shouted. But Xion continued to attack. Her last strike sent Sora and Roxas flying. But when Xion stopped, she turned around and saw Sora using Strike Raid on her from the air. It caught her off guard and sent her flying. Riku attacked next and his attack sent Xion soaring towards Sora again.

"Sora! Look out!" Riku called. Sora prepared for Xion as she regained her balance and attacked with a swooping strike. She struck Sora but Roxas attacked again. He forcefully held Xion back as the two skidded across the ground.

"Will you stop this?! None of this makes sense! Why are you attacking us?!" Roxas shouted.

"If you exist, then I won't be able to! I won't go back there again! You hear me Roxas?! Now that I am back, I plan to be the one and ONLY Sora! Even if it means killing you both!" Xion shouted. She broke from Roxas and flew up. But she didn't count on seeing their attacks were cracking the mask on her face. Just then, she saw Kairi.

"Wait a minute. It's YOU. You're the one Sora cared about the most. And....it's thanks to you that I look like this! You must pay too!" Xion shouted. She dashed for Kairi, but Kairi quickly drew her blade and shielded herself. But Xion's sheer speed knocked her over.

"Why you little! Hold still!" Axel shouted. He threw his chakrams at Xion and they only bumped off her armor. Xion then went speeding around everywhere like a lightning fast bullet, striking everyone in front of her.

"That's it! Stop this right now!" Sora shouted. He waited for Xion to come his way as he drew his Keyblade.

"Die!" Xion exclaimed. But just as she came at him, Sora attacked and delivered a powerful attack directly at Xion's face. The force of his attack plus Xion's speed finally cracked her mask and sent the false Nobody crashing down behind her. Her armor flew off as she was now in her Organization XIII jacket.

"Did...Did we finish her?" Roxas asked. Sora panted, continued to watch Xion as she only laid on the ground. But just then, they could hear the faint sound of someone crying. Sora listened closely and heard the crying was coming from Xion.

"Why? Why won't you just get out of my life?" Xion sniffled. Kairi slowly approached Xion, despite Sora's warning to stay away from her. But Kairi offered her help, asking Xion if she needed help getting up, but Xion swatted her hand away.

"Xion..." Kairi muttered. Xion continued to cry, disgusting Xemnas.

"How pitiful. I always had a feeling she was worthless." Xemnas said. Roxas slowly approached Xion and knelt down to her.

"Xion? Are you....okay?" Roxas asked. Suddenly, Xion hugged Roxas as tight as she could, surprising everyone. She continued to cry as she clinged to Roxas.

"Xion....." Sora said. Roxas just sat there, letting Xion's tears flow. But just then, Xion was attacked from behind. Everyone gasped to see Xion pierced in the chest by Xemnas' saber! Ansem gasped.

"Xemnas!" Ansem exclaimed. Xemnas smirked and forcefully ripped his saber out of her. Xion coughed and slowly slid down to the ground again.

"What did you do that for?!" Sora exclaimed. Xemnas huffed.

"I always knew she couldn't do the job. Though I designed her to take Roxas by force and become my perfect clone of you, she failed. Her foolish emotions led her away from her true intentions." Xemnas said "But no matter. Now that I am free, there will always be time to make another one." Hearing that ticked everyone off.

"Make another Xion?! Are you insane?!" Sora exclaimed. Donald and Goofy were angry too, appauled to hear what Xemnas said.

"Wak! How could you do that to someone you created?!" Donald squawked.

"Yeah! She didn't deserve that!" Goofy added. But all Xemnas did was look away.

"You can't do that! She's a living being too! Even if she's a clone, she's still living!" Kairi shouted. Riku agreed too.

"But a "living being" who cannot please me doesn't deserve to live. She fought well, but this is where her life ends." the knight said. Sora growled and drew his blade, also grabbing Xion's dropped Keyblade.

"Why you creeps! I always knew you were heartless Xemnas! But I never thought you were THIS cruel!" Sora shouted. Xemnas chuckled.

"Is that a challenge?" Xemnas asked. Riku could easily tell it was and he joined at Sora's side. Roxas rushed over also, setting Xion down gently. All three drew their weapons and faced Xemnas.

"How amusing. You bested me the last time, but don't think this is like before. I am stronger now. Behold!" Xemnas yelled. He rose his hand and after exerting a lot of energy, a strange Nobody being rose up from behind Xemnas. It took the shape of Xehanort's guardian Heartless.

"Wait a second. That's...." Sora said. Just then, Xemnas chuckled as his voice became the voice of Xehanort's Heartless.

"It is true boy. You catch on quick. If you have not learned of yet, the Heartless used to create this Lifeless is me.....Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness!" Xemnas called. Sora gasped and so did Ansem. The Heartless fused with Xemnas was Xehanort's Heartless! This technically made them a nearly complete Xehanort.

"Now together as our perfect selves, we will finally end your meddling affairs Keyblader!" Xehanort shouted. But as they were getting ready to fight, Xion slowly stood.

"Xion?" Sora asked. Xion groaned, extending her hand and summoned back her Keyblade from Sora's grip.

"Xemnas....I remember you still. I'm....I'm not letting....you get away with this. I'll.....I'll make SURE of it." Xion said. But all Xehanort did was smirk.

"Very well. This shall be the resting place for ALL of you meddlesome children!" Xehanort called.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	43. Ch 43: Nothing Reborn

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 43: Nothing Reborn_**

Xehanort charged for Sora and swung his sabers, clashing with his blade. But Xehanort quickly swung his arm, disarming Sora from below, and kicked him. Riku charged but Xehanort floated away and blasted a bolt of lightning at Riku.

"Hmph. How pathetic. Mere children cannot match my power." Xehanort said. Xion suddenly attacked from behind, but was grabbed by her throat.

"And you. Get out of my sight." Xehanort said. He threw Xion away and she collided into Roxas. But Sora and Riku attacked while his back was turned with Session and every blow hit.

"Is that all you got? My turn." Riku said. He and Sora swung their blades around in a circle before sending both in the air and slammed Xehanort with the colliding force.

"Gah! Why you...." Xehanort growled. He suddenly unleashed a large electrical blast around him and blew them away. Roxas yelled and came at Xehanort.

"This is for what you've done Xemnas! You're no leader! You're a fraud!" Roxas shouted. He came down at Xehanort from above and the impact caused a masive explosion, catching both Roxas and Xehanort. Axel groaned.

"Roxas!" Axel shouted. He saw Xehnaort flying away with Roxas tailing him.

"Take THIS!" Axel shouted. He summoned his chakrams and flung them at Xehanort. They caught him off guard, long enough for Roxas to attack again. Xehanort stared down at Roxas' angry face.

"I had a feeling you would betray me. A Nobody of a Keyblader NEVER obeys orders of the superior beings." Xehanort said. He suddenly grabbed Roxas by his neck and rose him up. With a huff, he tightened his grip and shocked Roxas.

"Geagh!" Roxas exclaimed. Naminé gasped.

"No! Roxas!" Naminé cried. The shock continued until Roxas just limped there in Xehanort's grip. When he saw he stopped, Xehanort released Roxas and he dropped like a lead stone. Axel and Sora gasped.

"Roxas!" they shouted. Suddenly, Axel was ablaze in rage as a fiery aura surrounded him and his chakrams returned.

"That's it! Now you're gonna get it! Since you're not a Nobody anymore and I am, I can do THIS!" Axel shouted. He leaped towards Xehanort, building up all that energy inside. When Axel was in close range, he unleashed it in a massive fire blast and it swallowed up Xehanort. Sora gasped.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. Axel watched as the fire consumed Xehanort. But when he thought that did it, a lone lightning shot struck him through the fire and Xehanort parted through the fire and stood with his robe slightly singed.

"This is enough. Time for you to submit!" Xehanort shouted. He summoned his guardian and it was prepared to attack. When it swung it's giant fist, Axel shielded himself. But suddenly, when the blow connected, Axel looked and saw Xion took the hit.

"Xi....Xion?!" Axel gasped. Xion groaned and coughed, looking slowly back at Axel.

"Axel....we're....we're still friends....right? And friends....help friends." Xion muttered. She groaned and started dropping out of the air. Roxas slowly started to wake and he saw Xion falling.

"Xion!" Axel shouted. Kairi, Naminé, Sora and Roxas all watched as Xion fell head first to the ground. She fell with a thud and Roxas could only watch.

"No. Xion. No. NO!" Roxas exclaimed. Xehanort suddenly eyed Roxas as he leaped for him.

"Sora! Let's get this guy!" Roxas called. Sora nodded and leaped for Xehanort. Both raised their blades.

"Take this!" they exclaimed. Almost exactly mirroring each other, Roxas and Sora unleashed twin Trinity attacks and caught Xehanort in the crossfire. Xehanort could barely escape as the blades continued hacking away at him. Their final blows sent Xehanort flying and they fired twin beams of light at him. They exploded upon impact, catching the sight of the distant Organization XIII members.

"What was that?" Xigbar asked. Marluxia looked as hard as he could, seeing Xehanort's figure in the smoke.

"Xemnas?" Marluxia muttered. Back on the field, Xehanort panted heavily. His robe was now shredded and covered in ashes, making him groan.

"Cursed Keybladers. You certainly are stubborn. But this....ends......here!" Xehanort shouted. He raised both hands and surrounded everyone with thousands of needles. He was about to fire before Ansem's voice stopped him.

"Xehanort! Stop!" Ansem shouted. Xehanort looked down at his master and growled.

"This is enough Xehanort. Come. Time to take our leave." the knight said. He opened a corridor of darkness and proceeded through. However, remembering his device, Ansem quickly took it and threw it at the knight's back. The badge activated and the Dark Knight was shocked through out his entire body.

"Gargh!" the knight roared. Xehanort groaned and dove for the knight. He pushed him through before the corridor closed.

"Phew. That was close. He's....He's really gotten stronger." Sora panted. Riku panted also, a bit relieved that Xehanort left. Roxas hurried over to Xion and worried if she was okay. He rattled her before seeing her eyes squint.

"Huh? R...Roxas?" Xion asked. Roxas sighed.

"You're all right. That's good." Roxas said. Axel groaned, wishing he could've finished Xehanort when he had the chance.

"It's all right Axel. You had your chance. Besides, if anything, now that we know he's out there....he's not going to stand a chance." Sora said.

"Well, count me in. I'm not gonna let that creep get away for what he did to Roxas and Xion. Besides, Xemnas....he's gonna pay for dumping all of us here and let us wait until we're picked out." Axel said. Sora figured Axel was serious and he offered Axel the chance to help them take down the knight. He was quick to accept.

"But how are we going to get out of here?" Donald asked.

"Yeah. We don't even know if Cid finished the teleporter yet. Plus, can we REALLY bring Axel with us?" Goofy asked. Sora glanced at Axel and asked if he was capable of leaving.

"Well, I would be if we could use the corridors. They don't work for Nobodies in this world. We can only warp around this world, not go anywhere else." Axel said. Sora groaned.

"There's got to be something." Sora said. Just then, there was a large flash of light behind Sora. Everyone looked behind him and saw something. It appeared to be a solid white Keyblade in a pedestal.

"Huh? What's that?" Kairi asked. Ansem was shocked, thinking it couldn't be. Sora thought it looked like a Keyblade. Sora slowly approached it and grabbed it's handle.

"That's...That's the Keyblade of Nothing. I heard rumors about it, but never thought it existed." Axel said. Sora asked what the Keyblade was.

"That sword is the Keyblade of this world. As I heard from your king that he found the Keyblade in the dark realm, you have found the Keyblade in the nothing realm. This Keyblade is capable of granting it's holder one wish...so long as his heart is pure." Ansem said. Sora gasped.

"Really? It'll grant me a wish. Then....I could wish that the Heartless never appeared." Sora said. But Kairi stopped Sora, saying that if he did, he would rewrite time so he never met her, Donald, Goofy or anything that's happened up to now.

"Oh. That's right." Sora said. Riku told Sora that he'd have to think about this carefully. Sora did, glancing at the Nobodies besides him. He knew that the Dark Knight was someone who would be too strong to defeat and Michael told him to gather those who he could trust in battle. That's when the idea came to him.

"Wait. I know!" Sora shouted.

"What? Did you think of something?" Riku asked.

"Yeah. I did." Sora said. He turned to Axel and the others, raising the Keyblade before him.

"All right. Keyblade? I wish.....that these four Nobodies....would be brought back to the realm of the light." Sora said. Axel and Roxas gasped.

"Wait. What did he just wish for?" Naminé asked. Suddenly, the Keyblade began to glow and it completely shattered into four fragments.

"What? How is the Keyblade going to grant that?" Riku asked. Everyone watched as the four fragments suddenly drifted towards Roxas, Axel, Naminé and Xion. The hilt went into Axel, two fragments went into Naminé and Xion while the teeth went inside of Roxas. Suddenly, they felt something pop inside of them. Axel felt his chest and felt something, a heart beat.

"Whoa. What....What just happened?" Axel asked. Naminé felt her chest and she too felt the beating.

"It's....It's a heart." Naminé said. Roxas gasped, feeling his beating too. Xion looked at herself.

"A....A heart? Is this what it feels like...to have a heart?" Xion asked. Sora figured the Keyblade found a way of bringing them into the realm of light. And that was giving them their own hearts. Riku gasped while Donald and Goofy were completely speechless.

"Wow. It...It feels so warm." Roxas said. Just then, Roxas and Naminé saw two small spheres pop out of them. They beared the Nobody crest and the two orbs flew back into Sora and Kairi.

"Okay. What was that?" Sora asked. Ansem could only suspect that since Roxas and Naminé were their Nobodies, now with their own hearts, the part that was them returned to their bodies.

"So, does that mean they're back to normal?" Riku asked.

"Yes. And our friends from this realm....have been born again as humans. It's as if Sora and Kairi....never had Nobodies to begin with." Ansem said with a smile. But just then, they heard Marluxia's laugh again. Organization XIII suddenly appeared in a flash.

"It seems we missed OUR chance to score a heart. But no matter. Since you have yours Axel, you can simply give it to us." Marluxia said. But Axel wasn't about to. He extended his arms and summoned his chakrams, only to find they grew in size.

"Whoa! Yeah baby! Check out these new beauties." Axel smirked. Marluxia groaned.

"Interesting. It appears your newfound hearts have boosted your previous Nobody capabilities." Ansem said. Marluxia growled.

"No matter. We will STILL take those hearts! Nobodies! Attack!" Marluxia shouted. In a flash, multiple Nobodies surrounded the group. There were all the types of Nobodies within the realm, including new ones. Roxas figured they had to fight and drew his Keyblade. But he found that he now regained the ability to wield two blades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion.

"Yes!" Roxas thought. Xion summoned her blade and it became a white clone of the Kingdom Key with a Nobody emblem on the chain. Naminé tried to see what she obtained, but it appeared nothing more than a small glint of light on her hand.

"Oh. This is cute." Naminé groaned. She waved her hand and suddenly fired a glowing sphere at a Nobody, destroying it. Naminé glared at her hand in shock.

"Naminé! You can cast magic!" Ansem gasped. Naminé gasped.

"Whoa." Naminé said. Marluxia growled and ordered the Nobodies to attack. But Sora and the others joined them in coming at the Nobodies with all they had. Sora and Roxas obliterated Nobodies like crazy, Axel's chakrams allowed him for a serious boost in fire power, Riku and Xion fought side by side and Kairi was able to help Donald and Goofy against Dancer and Gambler Nobodies.

"Oh yeah! Can you guys feel that?! I feel really juiced up!" Axel called.

"I know! It feels like we're unstoppable!" Roxas exclaimed. Marluxia groaned. The others were shocked by Axel and Roxas' sudden power boosts, amazed that this is what happens when a Nobody is reborn as a human.

"This isn't good. At this rate, the Nobodies are going to be extinguished! They aren't strong like us. Only Nobodies like us can't tire out!" Zexion gasped. Marluxia growled and drew his scythe. He lunged for Axel and attacked, but was suddenly attacked by Roxas.

"Sorry. But your chance for a heart just expired." Roxas said. Marluxia gasped as Roxas kicked Marluxia in the chest. His scythe flew from his hand and Marluxia hit the ground. Larxene and the others gathered around him.

"You two! You won't get away with this!" Marluxia shouted. In a flash, Organization XIII warped away, taking the weaker Nobodies with them. Seeing they won, Roxas and the others were abuzz with excitement, happy with their newfound powers. Just then, a glowing light flashed before everyone.

"Huh?" Kairi asked.

"What's that?" Goofy added. The flash took the shape of a circle and it opened up, revealing Radiant Gardens.

"That's....It has to be Cid!" Sora gasped. Just then, they saw Leon and Cid in the portal.

"There they are Cid. Your portal worked." Leon said, his voice echoing. Just then, Sora saw Presea and Genis appear too.

"Whoa! It is them! Hey! Sora! Come on! Time to come back!" Genis exclaimed. Sora laughed and waved, seeing Presea wave back.

"Hurry up you guys! Come on!" Genis called. Axel chuckled, saying that it looks like Sora had some friends helping him out. Just then, Sora and Riku turned to Ansem.

"You're coming too....right?" Sora asked. Ansem looked away.

"Why should I? I fled from my people, I was consumed by vengeance against Xehanort and I helped bring the Heartless into existence. If that truly is my world, then I am an outcast there." Ansem said. Riku sighed.

"Ansem..." Riku said.

"How am I going to face them again....after what happened?" Ansem asked. Just then, he felt Sora and Riku pat his back.

"Come on Ansem. Everyone deserves a second chance. It wasn't your fault. Besides, what's past is past. The town needs a leader like you Ansem. I bet there are people back in Radiant Garden that miss you." Sora said. Ansem looked at Riku and he nodded.

"He's right. After all, you saw how my second chance with Sora ended up. We're friends again. Maybe the people will accept you back. Just give them a chance to see the real you." Riku said. Ansem sighed.

"All right. I'll join you." Ansem said. Sora smiled.

"Then come on guys. Let's go." Sora said. Everyone nodded and followed Sora through the portal. When Sora returned to Radiant Gardens, he found himself surrounded by his friends.

"Welcome back Sora!" Yuffie called. They were in the basement beneath the commitee's building.

"We were really worried Sora. We thought we would never see you again. But we're glad you're back." Marta said. Just as Kairi and Riku stepped out with Donald and Goofy, the others saw the Nobodies arrive with Ansem behind them.

"Hey Sora, who are your friends?" Cloud asked. Sora chuckled and asked the others if they wanted to introduce themselves. Roxas was first.

"Hi. My name's Roxas." Roxas said.

"And my name is Naminé. Pleasure to meet you." Naminé said.

"The name's Axel. That's A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

"My...My name is Xion." Xion said. Ansem chuckled.

"And my name is Ansem the Wise. A pleasure." Ansem said. Suddenly, Leon and Aerith gasped.

"No way. It....It can't be. Is that really YOU Ansem?" Leon gasped. Ansem glanced at Leon and smiled.

"Oh. I remember you. Squall, how have you been? The last time I saw you, you were just a young man. How much you've all grown." Ansem chuckled. Cid and the others were surprised too, surprised to see their leader back.

"Wow! You were in there this whole time?!" Cid exclaimed. Ansem chuckled.

"Yes. And don't worry. I'll explain everything of what happened." Ansem said. Just then, Sora glanced at Axel.

"Hey Axel? Now that you're with us, should we call you Axel....or Lea?" Sora asked. Axel suddenly froze up, seeing the others snicker.

"L..Lea?!" Genis laughed.

"Yeah! That's Axel's REAL name!" Donald laughed. Goofy and the others joined in, leaving Axel humiliated.

"Wow. That is a silly name." Presea said. Lloyd and Pete were laughing as well, including Tenebrae and Emil.

"I can't believe it. Isn't that a girl's name?" Seifer snickered. Axel groaned, swatting himself in the face.

"Great. My whole sense of dignity is gone." Axel groaned. He suddenly saw Roxas, Xion and Naminé laughing too.

"Oh come on! Not you guys too!" Axel shouted. He groaned and shook his head in disgust. Back at the Dark Knight's lair, he found the badge Ansem placed on him and crushed it in the palm of his hand. He growled, trying to open a corridor of darkness but to no avail.

"Curse them! Curse those light dwelling fools!" the knight roared. He growled and threw his sword to the ground.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	44. Ch 44: A Nobody In A New World

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 44: A Nobody In A New World_**

The next day, Sora was resting in the den of the team base when Axel came in. With his heart returned, he was free to express himself as a human. While mainitaning his red spiky hair, he wore a short black vest over a red shirt with torn sleeves and black jeans. He now wore black gloves over his hands.

"Wow. It's been so long that I wore something other than those itchy jackets." Axel said. Sora asked Axel how it felt to be human again and after stretching his arms, Axel said it felt great.

"How about the others?" Sora asked. Axel just saw Roxas come by. He wore the outfit he did while in the digital Twilight Town.

"I'm fine Sora. I still can't believe it. Now I can really help you when you need me." Roxas said. Just then, Naminé passed by in her new outfit. She wore a white shirt with blue rims and a small star on the chest and she wore long white pants.

"I feel great too Sora. Thank you so much for what you've done. We're in your debt." she said. Sora chuckled.

"Don't worry Naminé. I still think it's great that the Keyblade granted my wish." Sora said. Behind Axel, Xion slowly stepped forward.

"Well, how do I look?" Xion asked. Roxas looked back and saw Xion wore a dark striped sleeved shirt and long blue jeans.

"Nice." Axel chuckled. Xion looked away blushing.

"You...You really think so?" Xion asked. Roxas agreed. Xion smiled and chuckled.

"I think we're gonna take a good look around town. This place seems pretty interesting to check out." Axel said.

"Okay. I was gonna go see how Ansem is doing too. Just hope he's feeling better about being back home again." Sora said. Axel nodded and told Sora he'd see him later. Stepping outside, Axel took a deep breath.

"Ah. Wow. I never thought the sun felt so welcoming before." Axel said. Roxas chuckled and stretched his arms. Naminé looked up at the shining sun and she smiled.

"So, where should we go first?" Xion asked. Axel shrugged, saying they should check out whatever they wanted to. Roxas agreed, remembering one place Sora visited a lot while here. And that was Scrooge's ice cream stand.

"Yeah. It's been a while since I ever tasted food again." Axel said. Roxas and the others chuckled.

"Well, come on then. Let's go." Naminé chuckled. As they headed on, Sora walked up towards Ansem's Study to visit. He found Ansem, Leon and Cid working to restore his study.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Sora asked. Ansem welcomed Sora in but told him to watch his step because of their clean up.

"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing Ansem. Is everything okay?" Sora asked. Ansem chuckled.

"Yes. Things are well Sora. I've let the people acknowledge my return and they welcomed me back. Once I explained the events that occured, it feels all is back to normal." Ansem said. Leon also said that Ansem would provide aide for Sora and his team should they ever need any.

"Wow. That's great Ansem. See? I knew the town missed you." Sora said. Ansem looked at the portrait of Xehanort against the wall and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Sora asked. Ansem gently rubbed his hand across Xehanort's face.

"Even though the town has accepted me back, I still cannot feel ashamed about what I let my apprentice cause. Now he's running around the worlds as a Lifeless." Ansem said. Sora asked what Ansem knew about the Lifeless.

"All I can say is the Lifeless are truly dangerous beings. They're a result fusion of a Heartless and a Nobody. Most of the time, a Lifeless can take on a seemingly normal human appearance. But they reveal their true selves once they released their powers." Ansem said. Sora figured that must've been what happened when Lilith, Xaldin and Luxord looked monsterous.

"I don't know why that knight is creating these monsters the way they are, but I know that we cannot allow him to succeed in his plans." Ansem said. Sora nodded.

"Don't worry Ansem. That's what me and my friends are aiming to accomplish. We'll beat the knight and get all of this straightened out." Sora said. Ansem glanced back at Sora, knowing Sora could do the job. Meanwhile, back in town, Roxas and friends seemingly blended in with the other people strolling through town.

"Wow. Look at all of these people. It's almost makes you feel claustrophobic." Axel said. But just then, Roxas noticed something weird.

"Huh? Roxas? What's wrong?" Xion asked.

"Where did Naminé go?" Roxas asked. Axel looked around but didn't see her. But a glance farther back showed her looking in the window of a clothing boutique. Axel sighed as they approached her.

"Naminé? What are you doing?" Roxas asked. Naminé looked up at Roxas and figured she was just being a regular girl would with clothes. She then looked again at the window, appearing to look around at the different outfits. Axel sighed and grabbed the back of her shirt.

"Well, come on. You can be a "normal" girl later." Axel said, slowly dragging Naminé along behind him.

"Oh! Axel! Come on! This isn't fair!" Naminé groaned. Xion looked back and chuckled, seeing Naminé groaning behind Axel. But as Axel was muttering to himself, he later felt that he was holding nothing. He checked his hand and found Naminé escaped. He quickly looked back and saw Xion freed Naminé and went into the store with her.

"What the? But I....But she....But....d'oh!" Axel groaned. Roxas chuckled.

"Come on Axel. We can go chill out by ourselves, just like we used to." Roxas said. Axel sighed.

"Yeah. Why not?" Axel said. Roxas chuckled as they continued on. In fact, he was still chuckling shortly after.

"What are you laughing about?" Axel asked. Roxas looked up at him with a chuckle.

"Still can't believe your real name was Lea." Roxas snickered. Axel sighed and clutched Roxas' shirt, giving a cocky grin.

"Let it go Roxas. You all had your laugh yesterday. So today, zip it." Axel chuckled. Inside the clothing store, Naminé was having fun looking around at the other clothes. Just when she found one she liked, she saw someone else's hand reaching for it. She looked and saw Kairi.

"Oh. Kairi!" Naminé gasped.

"Naminé?" Kairi asked. The two asked each other what they were doing, almost at unison.

"Well, I guess it's my girl instincts to try on new clothes." Naminé giggled. Kairi chuckled.

"No wonder why you were my Nobody Naminé. We sure think alike." Kairi chuckled. The girls giggled as Xion browsed herself. She looked back with a smile. Soon, the girls were all trying on clothes together and asking each other for their opinions. Kairi was happy that Naminé and Xion got to have fun together.

"Hey Kairi? How does this look?" Naminé asked. She seemed to be wearing a top that almost looked like it was Kairi's shirt.

"I say you look cute in that. After all, I should know." Kairi said. The girls chuckled as Axel and Roxas were sitting outside. They both were enjoying smoothies.

"Ah. Wow. These taste great. What did you get Roxas?" Axel asked. Roxas tasted his and smiled.

"Hmm. Mine's tropical punch." Roxas said. Axel chuckled.

"Yeah. Now this is the good life. Just the two of us and no Organization XIII to drag us down." Axel said. Roxas agreed, saying thanks to Axel.

"Hmm? Thanks? For what?" Axel asked. Roxas glanced at him.

"What else? For being my friend when I joined the Organization. If I didn't meet you or Xion, I dunno how I would be today." Roxas said. Axel was silent before looking away with a smirk.

"Yeah. Thanks for being my friend too Roxas. You're one of the coolest guys I ever met." Axel chuckled. Roxas smiled. At Ansem's Study, Ansem entered his computer room and started up his computer.

"So, this is where you met Tron?" Ansem asked. Sora nodded.

"I wonder how he's been. I never saw him since the last time." Sora said. Ansem browsed through the data base and found it needed a password. Sora entered it, surprising him that the password was changed. But it worked as he found the old data base on Heartless.

"What are you going to do?" Sora asked.

"I'm doing what I should've done before. I'm going to erase all the data in this hard drive that has anything to do with the Heartless. If anyone accesses this computer, looking for that information, it will all be gone. Also, I should probably shut down that blasted Heartless manufaction machine below too." Ansem said, glaring down at the large manfacturing machine.

"So, if we shut this down, no one will be able to manufacture Heartless again?" Sora asked. Ansem nodded.

"Hopefully, this will quell the Heartless expansion." Ansem said. As Sora and Roxas were out and about, Emil sat alone in the den of the team base. He looked out the window as Marta came by.

"Emil? What's wrong?" Marta asked.

"I had trouble sleeping last night. I just can't get Richter off my mind." Emil said. Marta looked down at Emil's sad face and sat besides him.

"Emil....Richter might....." Marta said. But she stopped, not wanting to hurt Emil's feelings.

"I'm....I'm sure Richter is okay. He's a strong willed kind of guy. I bet he's somewhere.....looking for you just like you're looking for him." Marta said. Emil hoped so.

"And, if he isn't, you still have all of us with you too Emil. Don't forget that, okay?" Marta asked. Emil looked at Marta and nodded, gently holding her hand.

"Thanks Marta." Emil said. Marta smiled and nodded. Just then, Tenebrae appeared in a flash.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I think there is something that I should tell you Emil." Tenebrae said. Emil asked what it was.

"Well, just recently, I appear to be detecting a very faint signal coming from what appears to be a Centurion. I don't know what it is, but....it feels like Aqua somehow." Tenebrae said. Emil and Marta gasped.

"A....Aqua?! But....But isn't she the Centurion that sided with Richter?" Marta asked.

"Yes. That's her. But...I still don't get it. Why would I be sensing her now?" Tenebrae asked. Suddenly, Emil started thinking. If Tenebrae could sense Aqua, it must mean that Richter was okay too.

"Not so fast Emil. Just because Aqua and Richter were partners doesn't mean they survived together. If they did, I would be sensing Ratatosk's core on Richter." Tenebrae said. Emil sighed.

"Tenebrae, maybe you shouldn't discourage Emil right now. Come on. Let's go tell Sora." Marta said. Emil nodded and quickly rushed to tell Sora. Later that night, Sora sat down with Emil and Marta.

"So, Tenebrae picked up a sense that one of your friends is still out there?" Sora asked. Emil nodded.

"That's great Emil. It looks like all of your friends must've survived as well. I'll make sure to tell Cid and we can go check it out tomorrow." Sora said. Emil nodded.

"Richter.....we're coming." Emil thought. Meanwhile, in the darkened streets of what appears to be Paris, a group of Shadow Heartless are chasing a woman. She trips and finds the Heartless lunging for her. But almost like a flash, the Heartless were slayed in midair.

"Who? What? How?!" the woman gasped. She saw a lone figure withdrawing his weapons and glancing at her.

"Hey. You all right?" the man asked. The woman tried to see his face closer before he took off. She saw the glimpse of red hair flashing against the moonlight.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	45. Ch 45: Memories in Notre Dame

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 45: Memories in Notre Dame_**

Out in space, the Gummi Ship was slowly flying across the skies and on it's way towards the next of Sora's adventures. He recently received word from Cid about Heartless activity in another world. This time, he brought Kairi and Lloyd, along with Emil and Marta with him, Donald and Goofy on this trip.

"So, where are we going Sora?" Lloyd asked.

"Well, according to Cid, this place has had quite a bit of Heartless activity. So we won't really know until we land there." Sora said. Kairi bet it was going to be a beautiful place and so did Marta. But in Emil's head, he was only thinking one thought. This world might reunite him and Richter according to what Tenebrae told him.

"Emil...I really hope we find Richter. I don't want your feelings hurt." Marta thought. The ship continued to slowly cruise as they were passing by Kuzco's world. Just then, they detected Heartless activity coming their way.

"Oh boy. Here they come. Get ready." Sora said. Donald took the wheel as Sora and Goofy manned the weapons. They blasted furiously at the approaching Heartless ships and they were constantly shot down one after another.

"Guess with the knight out for a while, the Heartless have gotten weaker." Kairi said. Sora agreed, thinking the Heartless wouldn't be this easy to shoot down. Without any problem, the Gummi Ship plowed through the Heartless ships and found the world before them. On the top of the world was a large church with many towns surrounding it.

"That's it! Let's go!" Goofy cheered. Sora chuckled and told Donald that he knew what to do. Donald agreed and began to slowly land the ship. They came down gently in town and stepped out.

"Here we are." Sora said. Emil slowly stepped out and saw the majestic town before them. They watched as a group of doves flew off above them and into the sky. From afar, they could all hear merriment and laughter.

"What's that?" Goofy asked. Just then, a black cloud flashed before them and they saw Tenebrae.

"It sounds like a party of some kind." Tenebrae said. Emil and Marta gasped.

"Tenebrae! Don't do that! You really surprised us!" Emil gasped. Tenebrae apologized, not stating that he could teleport across worlds so easily before.

"Then WHY didn't you use that to find us sooner?" Marta asked. Tenebrae was about to say something, but fell silent.

"Whatever. Come on guys. Let's have a look." Lloyd said. The group tracked through town, heading towards the singing. As they traveled, they were secretly being watched by a set of eyes in the shadows.

"Huh? Who are they?" the watcher muttered. But as Sora and the others were nearing the square, they soon were ambushed by a gang of Heartless. They were Large Body, Shadows, Neo Shadows and Search Ghost.

"Heartless! Watch out!" Lloyd called. Sora charged for a Large Body and attacked it's head, tumbling it down. Kairi handled the Shadows with Donald as Goofy teamed with Lloyd for the Neo Shadows. The Heartless just seemed to keep coming as they slayed them down.

"Wak! Sora!" Donald exclaimed. Sora was suddenly attacked from behind by a Neo Shadow, quickly vanquished by Emil.

"Thanks Emil! Uh oh! Look out!" Sora shouted. Emil glanced back as a Large Body grabbed him with it's large hand.

"Gagh! Let me go!" Emil shouted. Marta, having slain a Neo Shadow, looked back and gasped.

"Emil! No! Hold on!" Marta cried. She hurried to Emil but was caught by a pair of Neo Shadows, pinning her to the ground.

"Let go of me! Ratatosk! Help!" Emil shouted. Ratatosk quickly overtook Emil and fought to break free.

"Dang it! This Heartless' grip is too strong!" Ratatosk shouted. Donald groaned.

"Somebody HELP US!" Donald squawked. Suddenly, almost a repeat of the previous night, the red haired man appeared and quickly slashed the Heartless to shreds. With his appearance, the Heartless turned tail and fled. Emil was dropped to the ground, snapping back to Emil.

"Whoa! What happened?" Emil asked. Emil looked for their savior, spotting the red haired man. He wore a long dark cloak, small frame glasses around his eyes and had long dark red hair. He held an axe in one hand and a sword in another. Emil and Tenebrae gasped.

"No way!" Emil exclaimed. Marta gasped.

"It.....It couldn't be." Marta stuttered. Their savior was none other than the man Emil searched for, Richter Abend.

"Emil?" Richter asked. He turned back and saw Emil looking at him with Tenebrae.

"So it IS you. Hmph. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. A kid as stubborn as you can't be gotten rid of that easily." Richter said, adjusting his lenses. But as he did, Emil suddenly rushed up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Richter! You're okay! I'm so relieved you're all right!" Emil exclaimed. Richter looked down and groaned, gently trying to "hint" Emil to let go.

"Okay. Come on Emil, pull it together. You don't have to cling to me." Richter groaned. Finally breaking free of Emill, a bubble of water appeared and popped. From the bubble, Aqua appeared.

"Are you all right Richter? I felt Heartless nearby and....what the?!" Aqua said. Tenebrae's eyes widened.

"Aqua! Is that really you?!" Tenebrae stuttered.

"Heh. Guess your Centurion friend survived as well. I thought he would. After all, he IS the Centurion of Darkness. Don't see a reason for the Heartless to come after him." Richter said. Lloyd asked Richter how long he was here for and Richter pondered that he was in this world for about almost two weeks.

"Well, at least we have you back now." Marta said. Lloyd could still hear the noise and asked Richter what that was.

"It's the Feast of Fools, a festival that's held here in town every year or so. Don't ask me what it's about though. I never did like parties." Richter said. Neverless, the others went on ahead and found themselves in the center of town, where most of the townsfolk were gathered.

"Whoa! Look at everyone here! It's amazing!" Kairi gasped. Everyone was dancing around, having so much fun and excitement. They all sang "Topsy Turvy", led by their leader, the gypsy king Clopin.

"Sheesh. I never thought I see a party this big before." Marta said. Suddenly, they saw someone getting lift up on a chair. It was a man with large arms and a hideous face. He wore a frilly crown on his head.

"Blech. The folks around here get uglier by the minute." Richter though. Sora was wondering what was going on, but that was answered quickly when he heard someone call out "Hail the King of Fools!" loudly. They watched as the man was being carted through the crowd on his throne, but soon watched as when he reached the stage, ropes suddenly lashed out and hooked his hands.

"What the?!" Marta exclaimed. The man tried to break free, but more ropes were thrown over him and tied him down. Suddenly, he was being pelted by produce from all around him. Another girl, a young gypie woman, watched from afar.

"What are they doing to him?!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"They're....They're pelting him with food!" Emil gasped. Sora groaned.

"Not for long! Come on guys! Hurry!" Sora shouted. He drew his Keyblade and led his friends through the crowd. On the stage, the man continued taking pelting after pelting.

"Help me master! Help me!" he cried. But his master, watching from afar, did nothing. Suddenly, Marta came charging in with her spinner and she slashed the ropes as Sora and Donald casted Magnera and caught the flying food.

"Everyone! Stop! Just what do you think you are doing to this poor man?!" Lloyd shouted. The man's master stood up, eyeing Sora and the others on stage. It was Judge Claude Frollo and the man Sora was protecting was Quasimodo.

"Young children! Get down from there at once!" Frollo shouted.

"No! What is going on?! Why is this poor man getting pelted with food for?!" Marta exclaimed. Frollo groaned and warned them to not make him cross. He then ordered them again to step off the stage. However, the gypsie girl soon jumped onto the stage as well. She was Esmeralda.

"Judge Frollo, have you gone mad? Why do you let this poor man suffer for his outward appearance? Has this man no rights?" she called. Frollo growled.

"Young lady! I will warn you all once again! Do not toy with me! Now get off that stage or....!" Frollo shouted. But the gypsie had enough, standing before Quasi without budging an inch. Lloyd was impressed by Esmeralda's strong will.

"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you do my people! You speak of justice, yet you are CRUEL to those who need it the most! Where is the justice in all this?! You're no judge! You're the REAL fool!" she exclaimed. Frollo growled and ordered his guards to seize them.

"Come on! We'll take you all on!" Sora shouted. The soldiers came towards them, but Sora and his friends attacked them with surprises all their own. During the fight, Quasimodo began to flee for the church.

"Get them men! Don't let the gypsie escape!" a guard shouted. Sora suddenly slammed two of the guards' heads together as Goofy came charging and drove a few of the guards into the crowd. Richter drew his blades and drove guards away with Mortal Summoner. Emil and Lloyd scared guards off with Havoc Strikes and Donald scared them with Thundaga.

"Hey guards! Try and catch us!" Esmeralda called. She pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it onto the stage. When the smoke cleared, everyone had vanished!

"No way! They're gone!" a man exclaimed. Frollo groaned.

"Witchcraft. Men! Search the city! Find me that gypsie girl!" Frollo shouted. The crowd soon diverted, being forced aside by the guards. While the guards searched outside, Sora and the others found themselves inside the church.

"Not a bad little trick you pulled there." Richter said. Esmeralda chuckled and bowed to them, saying it was no big deal. Tenebrae and Aqua appeared besides Sora.

"Are you all right? There were so many people back there that we couldn't reach all of you." Tenebrae said. Sora nodded.

"Yeah. Don't worry. We're fine. Those dumb guards couldn't touch us." Sora said. The others chuckled.

"Did you see their faces when Donald used his magic? That was hillarious." Marta snickered. Goofy chuckled too.

"We should just be lucky we got out of there. No doubt that Frollo guy will be searching for us now." Lloyd said. Esmeralda told them that they were safe within the church. She explained that those who claimed "sanctuary" within the walls would be protected.

"How do you figure that?" Richter asked.

"It's something the archdeacon told me." Esmeralda said. Lloyd and the others looked around the walls of the church, amazed by how large it was.

"Wow. This place....it's so beautiful." Marta said. Emil agreed, looking up at the glass windows. Kairi looked at them also. She slowly strolled down the room, looking at all the beautiful windows. However, she stopped at one that appeared to be a majestic castle with a large heart floating above it.

"Hey. What's this....?" Kairi began to say. But suddenly, she felt like her body froze up. Kairi watched the window as something was beginning to stir inside of her thoughts. She watched as the same kingdom appeared in her mind, beautiful and majestic as the glass window.

"The hearts lost to darkness, they fly masterless and free. Though lost to the darkness they are, they weave together to create Kingdom Hearts. At that time, the doorway to our world.....becomes reality. Do you understand....Kairi?" a voice asked. Kairi saw herself as a yong child, sitting on a small throne and adorn in a beautiful white dress.

"What....What's going on?" Kairi asked. Sora and the others looked at Kairi, seeing her petrified in place.

"Kairi? Kairi! What's wrong?" Sora called.

"S...Sora! Help me! I.....I'm.....gah!" Kairi shouted. Everyone rushed over as Kairi was dropped to her knees by some unknown force. The memories continued in her head, seeing the kingdom being consumed by greedy fools and soon enough, the Heartless.

"Gah! What...What are those monsters?!" a woman exclaimed. Kairi cried as the Heartless began swarming the town. However, these weren't the Heartless Sora knew of. They were large monsters, attacking people and claiming their hearts. Soon, the ground itself began to quake.

"What....What's going on?! Mommy!" Kairi screamed. Outside, Sora and the others tried to control Kairi as she was starting to scream her memories out loud.

"Kairi! Kairi! Wake up! Snap out of it!" Marta exclaimed.

"Tenebrae! What's going on?!" Emil asked. Tenebrae couldn't answer, stating he was just as puzzled as the others were. In Kairi's memories, she saw the ground before her break open and a large monster was seen rising up from the ground.

"Gah!" a man exclaimed. It appeared as a massive Heartless, flashing blood red teeth and piercing yellow eyes.

"This land....is mine!" the mighty monster screeched. It let out a blood curdling roar, bringing forth dark clouds and it attacked Kairi. That finally snapped Kairi back and she fell to the floor.

"Kairi!" Sora exclaimed. Kairi groaned, passed out on the floor. Sora held Kairi in his arms, shaking her.

"Kairi? Kairi! Come on! Open your eyes! Wake up! Kairi! Kairi!" Sora exclaimed. But no matter what he did, Kairi did not budge.

"What the? What the heck's going on here?" Richter asked.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	46. Ch 46: The Court of Miracles

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 46: The Court of Miracles_**

Inside the church, Kairi remained quiet in Sora's arms. She did not budge or show any sign of life. Sora was afraid that something must've happened and began to shed a few tears in his eyes.

"Kairi....please.....wake up!" Sora exclaimed. But Kairi still did not move.

"Sora....calm down. I'm sure Kairi's fine." Donald said.

"Really Donald? Because it's kind of hard to tell with....." Goofy said before Richter shushed him. Sora sighed, setting Kairi gently on the ground.

"Sora? Is Kairi going to be all right?" Marta asked. Sora couldn't say for sure, but he knew they would have to do something. They had Heartless to deal with in this world and couldn't leave to bring Kairi back.

"Well, why don't we call Cid? You still have the communicator, right?" Emil asked. Sora nodded and pulled out the communicator. He radioed Cid and asked if he could send two more people their way. He explained Kairi's status and asked Cid to send someone to take Kairi back.

"Roger Sora. Hang tight. Calvary's on the way." Cid said. Sora nodded and hung up. Everyone wondered how the hunt was going outside and Richter peeked outside.

"Well, it doesn't look like the guards are outside anymore. Still, we can't stay here forever. In case you didn't know, I've been helping protect the people of this world from those Heartless and I can't hang around here." Richter said. Tenebrae pointed out that Frollo saw Richter with the others, making him believe they were all accomplishes of the gypsies.

"Yeah. What is WRONG with that guy anyway? It's like he's got his cap on too tight or something." Lloyd groaned. Esmeralda sighed.

"He hates the gypsies. He accuses them of witchcraft and sorcery. That man is so blind by his religious beliefs that he does not see how much he is hurting everyone." Esmeralda said. Lloyd groaned.

"Calm down Lloyd. Don't worry. After what we saw him did, we're gonna make sure to get even with him." Sora said. Still waiting for Cid's reinforcements, they arrived within the hour. Landing in a separate Gummi Ship outside town, they headed for the church and they saw the others dwelling within. The help Cid sent was Raine and Auron.

"Hello Sora. We heard about your friend.....and came.....to...." Raine said. But as she looked around the church, she got a strange glint in her eye.

"Oh my goodness. This place....it's....it's so beautiful! This is quite the archaeoligical feat! It feels like it's just bursting with history around us!" Raine exclaimed. Everone looked on confused.

"Oh boy. There she goes. Into Ruin Mode..." Lloyd sighed. Donald asked what was wrong with Raine and Lloyd said this was normal. She goes into "Ruin Mode" whenever she was around ruins or anything like that. As Raine continued to prattle on, Lloyd reminded Raine about Kairi and that snapped her out of it.

"Oh! Oh yes. Right. Ahem. Sorry." Raine said. She and Auron came over and examined Kairi. She began using her healing artes on Kairi, but still nothing happened.

"This doesn't look good. We're going to need somewhere safe for Kairi to stay in." Raine said. Just then, they heard something fall.

"Huh? Who's there?!" Richter called, drawing his blades. By the stairway, they saw Quasimodo.

"It's....It's that guy." Sora said. Quasimodo was watching them and felt like he wanted to help as well. He waved his hand, calling the others upstairs to the belltower. Taking Quasi's words, Sora and the others brought Kairi upstairs. But in town, Frollo was on the hunt for Esmeralda and the others.

"Men! Break down every door! Turn over every stone! Find me that gypsie and her accomplishes NOW!" Frollo bellowed. By his side, the captain of the guards watched as homes were ransacked and any found gypsies were hauled away like slaves.

"Sir, please, think about what you are doing. If this continues...." he said before Frollo raised his hand.

"Do not worry Captain Phoebus. I have ways of making them squeal. If any of them surrender information leading to the capture of the gypsie girl, I will not harm them." Frollo said. Phoebus just watched as none of the gypsies gave Frollo any information. In rage, Frollo ordered them to be locked up.

"Sir! Please! Consider your actions!" Phoebus shouted. Frollo glared at him.

"Do not interfere captain. Your orders were to assist me after you returned from your previous assignment. And if you dare to help these traitorous gypsies, I will not be hesistant to place you under arrest." Frollo said. Phoebus groaned. He continued following alongside Frollo as more homes were ransacked. When they reached the outskirts and found a home that was rumored to be linked to the gypsies but none were found, Frollo ordered Phoebus to burn it down.

"What?! I won't! I've put up with your actions for long enough sir! Stop right now or else...!" Phoebus shouted. Frollo huffed and decided to do it himself. With a snap of his finger, a large Fire Plant Heartless appeared and fired a fireball at the mill. Phoebus gasped.

"The....The monsters that I've heard have been around town. So it has been YOUR doings!" Phoebus shouted.

"The Heartless are messengers from the church captain Phoebus. They seek to aide me in bringing divine punishment down to the outlandish gypsies." Frollo said. Phoebus growled.

"This has gone too far! I....I won't let you do this!" Phoebus shouted. He drew his blade and came charging for the Heartless. But it lashed out and knocked Phoebus out with a single blow. Frollo groaned.

"It's so hard to find good help anymore." Frollo said. He then revealed, with another snap of his fingers, that his men were really Soldier and Armored Knight Heartless.

"Heartless! Bring me the head of the gypsie girl Esmeralda! Turn this entire city upside down if you must! Go!" Frollo ordered. The Heartless vanished in a flash, leaving Frollo riding off on his horse. Back in the church belltower, Kairi was laid gently in a pile of hay. With Quasi and the others were Victor, Hugo and Larvene, Quasimodo's three gargoyle friends.

"Oh the poor dear. I hope she'll be all right." Larvene said. Hugo chuckled.

"Well, if not, I know a certain hunch back guy that probably could use a little company." Hugo snickered before Larvene hit him.

"Really Hugo! Be serious!" Victor groaned. Donald and Sora were still a bit disturbed that gargoyle statues were even talking.

"How did this happen?" Auron asked.

"Well, even I don't get it. She just looked up at this window and suddenly started freaking out. It was a bit scary." Marta said. Just then, Aqua appeared besides Richter.

"Richter! They're here! The Heartless!" Aqua shouted. Everyone gasped as they were surrounded by Soldier Heartless.

"Drat! How'd they find us?!" Richter groaned. Lloyd guessed this had to be dealing with Frollo. Quasimodo told Esmeralda to get out of here and she figured that she wasn't a match for the Heartless. But before she left, she gave Quasi a small pendant.

"Be careful!" Hugo called. With Esmeralda gone, the Heartless closed in.

"Come on Sora. Let's go." Auron said. He drew his blade and charged into the fight. With Auron's power on their side, the Heartless were easily dispatched. They were sent flying out the nearby windows and fell to the street below.

"Man. Anyone but me starting to get sick of these Heartless?" Richter asked.

"Yeah. Frollo HAS to be controlling them. You saw how sick that guy is. He's......He......He's right behind me, isn't he?" Marta asked. The others nodded and Marta looked back, seeing Frollo at the doorway. He had followed the signal his Heartless were giving him.

"M....Master Frollo! Sir! I....I didn't know you would be....!" Quasimodo gasped. But Frollo said nothing to Quasi, merely patting his head.

"It is all right Quasimodo my child. Besides, thanks to you, I have most of our traitorous children before me. Tell me children. For what purpose do you help the gypsie girl?" Frollo asked. Emil groaned.

"If you're gonna get us to rat out our friend Esmerelda, there's no chance of that!" Goofy shouted. Donald and Sora groaned, telling him that's what Frollo wanted to hear. Goofy gasped and closed his big mouth.

"How did you even find us?" Lloyd asked. Frollo said he merely followed the Heartless' trail and it led him back to the church. He then asked where Esmeralda went, saying he did see her figure leaving the church windows.

"We'll never talk!" Sora shouted. He drew his Keyblade and tried to scare off Frollo.

"Very well. I see those who stray from the path of justice have very little patience with those who do. Fine. But I will warn you only once child. I know where your gypsies friends are all hiding! I KNOW about their hiding place. Perhaps you have heard of the Court of Miracles?" Frollo asked.

"Never heard of it." Richter said. Frollo sighed.

"Well, tomorrow, I will be raiding the Court of Miracles at dawn with a thousand men! And when we do, all gypsies and their accomplishes will fall before the justice of the church!" Frollo shouted. Lloyd growled.

"Don't you DARE speak about justice! What gives you the right anyway?!" Lloyd shouted. Frollo said no more and left. Quasimodo groaned.

"No. This....This can't be happening." Quasi said. Sora and the others glanced at Quasimodo.

"What's wrong? Do you have some kind of connection to that guy?" Sora asked. Quasimodo nodded, explaining how he came to be in this clock tower.

"Wait. Frollo is telling you that you have to live here in order to be "protected" from the outside world calling you a monster? That is sheer nonsense." Raine said.

"Well, believe it or not, that's the truth. Poor Quasimodo here is too scared to trust anyone else outside this church." Hugo said. Sora looked down at Quasimodo's eyes.

"You weren't afraid to trust us. Why?" Sora asked.

"I....I don't know. I just felt like there was something.....something about you that I could trust. And....I'm deeply sorry for getting you involved like this." Quasi said. Richter huffed.

"Trust me. We must've been dragged into this the moment the "quack" back there saw us." Richter said. Marta looked back at the unconscious Kairi.

"Kairi....please....wake up soon. We need you..." Marta thought.

"We probably should warn Esmeralda. That guy didn't sound like he was joking when he said he was going to raid this "Court of Miracles" before." Lloyd said. Sora agreed.

"But....uhhh....where is that?" Goofy asked. Quasimodo looked at the pendant in his hand.

"Hmm? What's that?" Auron asked. Quasi told them that this was something Esmeralda gave him before she left. On the pendant was a cross.

"A pendant? No. Some kind of peculiar code or something?" Raine asked. Tenebrae glared at it.

"It appears to be some sort of map. My guess is....this MIGHT tell us how to find the Court of Miracles." Tenebrae said. Emil asked how Tenebrae would guess and he didn't, stating he was just taking a wild guess.

"It's our only lead for right now. Come on. Let's follow it." Richter said. Raine said she would stay behind and protect Kairi. Marta asked to stay too and Sora nodded.

"Be careful everyone. If Frollo's men are Heartless, keep on high alert." Raine said. Sora nodded and the others rushed off. Outside the church, they followed their "map" to the best they could. Though getting confused half of the time, they finally deciphered the trick to using it and wound up in a cemetary within the city.

"Huh? How did we end up here?" Sora asked. Just then, they felt someone was approaching from behind. They turned around and saw Phoebus.

"Who are you? You one of Frollo's men?" Richter asked.

"Quite possibly one of the ex-soldiers serving under Frollo. My name is Phoebus, captain of the armed forces that protect this town. Who are you?" Phoebus asked. Sora quickly introduced themselves and told him about Frollo's insanity.

"I noticed. He's gone all out to hunt down the gypsies. He's ransacked homes, set buildings ablaze and is sending out his Heartless vermin to find them." Phoebus said. Emil gasped.

"Okay. That guy is one seriously messed up fruit loop." Lloyd said. Sora asked Phoebus if he knew anything about the Court of Miracles, only hearing that it was supposedly the home to the gypsies living within the city.

"Well, if you're really against Frollo as well, maybe you can help us warn the gypsies about him attacking." Sora said. Phoebus said he would be glad too.

"Quasimodo? Come on. Let's go find Esmeralda and warn her." Sora said. Quasi nodded and everyone began searching. Luckily, Emil and Tenebrae found the entrance and it led them down into the underground waterway. They found skulls and skeletons surrounding them.

"Yech. Whoever lives down here sure picked a disgusting place to call home." Sora groaned. Donald nodded, feeling like he just stepped on a skull.

"Well, let's just find Esmeralda, warn her and then get out of here before my master finds us." Quasi said. Sora sighed.

"Quasimodo, take it easy. It's not like we're gonna get ambushed or something. Just look around us. There's nothing but dead people." Lloyd said. Just then, they heard maniacal laughter around them as a group of men in skeleton suits jumped them.

"What the?! Hey! Get off! Let go of me!" Phoebus shouted. But everyone were soon down to the ground with their hands held behind their backs.

"You just HAD to open your mouth. Thanks a lot Lloyd." Auron groaned. Lloyd nervously chuckled before a man approached them. It was Clopin, the man from the Feast of Fools.

"Hey. Didn't we see you in town earlier?" Sora asked.

"Well, maybe you did. But who are YOU?" Clopin asked. The others called them spies.

"Spies?! No! We came to warn you of....!" Emil shouted before they were being gagged.

"DON'T interrupt boy! We know how to deal with tresspassers like you! Come boys!" Clopin laughed. Clopin's men dragged Sora and the others down to the large area where the gypsies lived. They were forced onto the stage and had ropes hung around their necks.

"Gather round all! We have good news tonight! A couple of Frollo's spies thought they could find our secret hideout! But you're in for a treat! A multiple hanging is called for!" Clopin exclaimed. The other gypsies cheered before someone told them to let them go. In the crowd was Esmeralda.

"What? Esmeralda? What...What is the meaning of this?" Clopin asked as she came onto the stage.

"These men are not with Frollo. They are our friends." she said, freeing Sora and the others. Sora hurried to the edge of the stage.

"We came to warn you! Frollo said he knows where you are and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand men! Hurry! Get out of here before...!" Sora shouted.

"Before WHAT boy?" a voice asked. Everyone looked back and there was Frollo with the Heartless!

"Dang it! It was all a trick! Everyone! Run!" Richter exclaimed. The gypsies began to flee, but the Heartless soon appeared everywhere and surrounded them. Frollo descended down as the gypsies were slowly being surrounded by the Heartless.

"Well, well, look at this. After twenty years, I finally have all you gypsies right where I wanted you." Frollo said. Sora groaned.

"And look what else I've caught. The gypsies' accomplishes as well as Captain Phoebus, the man who went against me. And.....Quasimodo...." Frollo said. Quasi looked away, ashamed at himself.

"I knew you would help me Quasimodo. All I had to do was mention that little lie and you've led me right to the girl I've been after. Thank you." Frollo said. He then snapped his fingers, summoning two Large Body Heartless.

"Take these fools to the belltower and make SURE they remain there until my job is finished." Frollo said. Sora and Lloyd growled, drawing their blades and coming at Frollo. But a Defender Heartless shielded them and knocked their weapons away, giving the Heartless enough time to capture Sora and Lloyd.

"You.....You fiend! You won't get away with this! I'll make sure of it!" Lloyd exclaimed before being dragged off.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	47. Ch 47: The True Justice Prevails

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 47: The True Justice Prevails_**

Sora and his friends remained trapped inside of the belltower within Notre Dame. While Auron and Quasimodo were chained to the posts, Sora and the others were tied up in ropes. Luckily, Frollo had not found Kairi, Marta or Raine since they went into hiding.

"Frollo. I can't believe him! The Heartless are now siding with him and he says they're "messengers" all of a sudden?" Lloyd groaned. Emil and Sora looked down at the terrifying sight. All of Notre Dame was ablazed in fire and Esmeralda was tied to a post with Frollo ready to light it ablaze.

"Now gypsie girl. I offer you one last chance to redeem yourself. It is quite simple. Choose me or the fire." Frollo said. But Esmeralda kicked Frollo in the leg, showing she'd never choose him.

"So be it! This vile witch has casted aside the good nature of the church and put the souls of all who live in this sacred town in complete jepordy!" Frollo exclaimed. Inside the church, Raine and Marta finally emerged from their hiding place. But Kairi still remaind unconscious.

"What's going on Raine?" Marta asked.

"I don't know. But we better find Sora." Raine said. Just then, Marta saw Kairi slowly stirring. She rushed back over to Kairi's side. Inside her mind, Kairi was walking alone in an empty void. Suddenly, she heard her name echo all around.

"We have been waiting for you my princess...." a voice said. Kairi gasped.

"Who.....Who are you? Where am I?" Kairi asked.

"Do not worry my child. You are safe here. But now, the time for you to learn the truth has finally come at last. For too long have you been kept in the dark. The time has come for you to take your......" the voice said. But suddenly, Kairi heard something. It sounded like Sora calling her name.

"Huh? Sora? Sora?!" Kairi asked. She rushed towards Sora's voice as something seemed to be holding her back. She fought against it to break free, still calling Sora's name. But when she woke up, she found herself strangling Marta.

"Gah! Kairi! Cal....Calm down! You're.....choking me!" Marta gagged. Kairi gasped and released Marta.

"Oh. Marta, I'm so sorry." Kairi said. Raine asked Kairi if she was feeling all right, feeling her forehead. Kairi claimed she was okay and told them of the strange dream she had. But Raine said that would have to wait since Sora might be in trouble.

"What? Sora? Oh no." Kairi said. The three girls slipped out of their room and started rushing up for the belltower. Through the windows, they saw the red fire blaze through town. They reached the top level and found everyone tied up.

"Sora!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora and the others saw Kairi and the girls rush over to free them.

"K...Kairi! You're okay!" Sora exclaimed. The second he was free, he hugged Kairi tightly with a tear coming to his eye. Kairi smiled and hugged Sora.

"I'm sorry....for worrying you Sora." Kairi said. Down below, everyone saw as Frollo was about to light Esmeralda's post.

"Quasi! Esmeralda needs you! Hurry!" Marta exclaimed. The gargoyles were already trying to break Quasi's chains, but on his face, Quasimodo seemed to have given up.

"We can't wait. If Quasimodo isn't going to act, I will!" Lloyd shouted. Grabbing the rope, Lloyd tied it around a pillar and came swinging down below, tackling into some of Frollo's Heartless guards. Sora took one last look at Quasimodo.

"Come on Quasi. You have to help her! She's your friend!" Sora shouted "We're all your friends!" But Quasimodo looked away.

"No. I've....I've caused you nothing but trouble. How can I....How can that prove that we're friends?" Quasimodo asked. Sora groaned.

"Because Quasi, just because you have a slightly different exterior doesn't make you a monster. That fool Frollo has been lying to you. He said everyone from the "outside" world would never accept you. But look around you. You've already got a group of friends who don't think that of you at all." Richter said. Emil said if it would help, he knew how Quasimodo felt about being an outcast, recalling his experiences in Luin.

"Now's not the time to be sulking over mistakes Quasimodo. Now is the time to show how good a friend you are. Esmeralda is down there, probably being sent to her doom, and we have to help her." Raine said. Quasi looked down again, seeing Frollo forcing Lloyd away and lighting Esmeralda's post. Finally, something inside of Quasimodo seemed to be coming alive.

"Come on guys. Lloyd doesn't look so good!" Marta called. She and Emil slid down the rope to join Lloyd. Suddenly, Quasimodo began to pull against his chains.

"That's it! Come on!" Donald exclaimed.

"You can do it Quasimodo!" Goofy shouted. He gave it every last ounce of strength he had. And finally, Quasimodo completely broke the chains keeping him back and quickly freed Auron.

"About time. Now, let's get that looney bird." Auron said. Quasimodo rushed towards Lloyd's rope and came flying down to the stairs, riding the rope like a swinging vine. On stage, he collided into Frollo and knocked him off, giving him time to rescue Esmeralda and swing back up.

"Quasimodo!" Frollo snarled. Quasimodo arrived on the belltower again with Esmeralda still in his arms. He raised her over his head and looked down at the people below.

"Sanctuary!" Quasi exclaimed. Soon, everyone down below was shouting the same along with him. Frollo growled and ordered the Heartless to break down the gates to the church. But when he did, he didn't count on Lloyd setting Phoebus and the other captives free.

"Citizens of Paris! Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our home and now he has declared war against Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?!" Phoebus exclaimed. Everyone roared as Phoebus and Lloyd led them against Frollo's Heartless. Down below, the townsfolk fought back and were taking down the Heartless.

"All right! The calvalry has arrived!" Hugo exclaimed. Lloyd and Emil slashed their way through the Heartless, reaching the rope and started to climb back up. But suddenly, they saw a giant Heartless appearing in the town square. It appeared like a four legged version of Trickmaster, but was more low to the ground.

"Lloyd! Emil! Go on! We'll handle this!" Phoebus exclaimed. Lloyd nodded and the two hurried to climb back up. They were given a bit of aide from Raine's magic, boosting them back up. Frollo growled and ordered his Heartless to put everything they had into it. At the gate, the Heartless were breaking down the gate with all their might.

"Maybe it's time WE offered some backup." Raine said. Richter agreed and they both unleashed artes down towards the Heartless at the gate and those climbing up the walls. The gargoyles also helped by pushing over a catapult. But it ended up landing on the ground.

"Are you sure that's how it works?" Goofy asked. Suddenly, the catapult released and smashed the Heartless.

"Works for me!" Hugo laughed. Sora and Quasimodo found a cauldron behind them and with the right ignition, they were able to send down a wave of lava from the top of the church. But the Heartless had given Frollo a big enough entrance into the church just as the lava came down.

"It's time I did what I SHOULD have done....twenty years ago." Frollo said. He saw the archdeacon trying to stop him, but Frollo shoved him to the ground. Upstairs, Sora and the others watched as the Heartless were being destroyed.

"Yeah! We're winning!" Donald cheered. Kairi cheered too before hearing the sound of Quasimodo's door being opened. Frollo came towards Quasi with the dagger hidden behind him. Quasimodo was tending to Esmeralda, hurt that she might have been dead.

"I am truly sorry Quasimodo. It was my duty, horrible as it was. But what's past is past. I've come to make amends. To end your suffering....forever." Frollo said. He prepared to drive the dagger into Quasi, but Kairi came racing in and forcefully grabbed Frollo's arm. Quasimodo looked against the wall and saw their shadows struggling.

"No! Leave Quasimodo alone!" Kairi exclaimed. Frollo snarled.

"Silence you witch!" Frollo exclaimed. He forcefully kicked Kairi down just as Sora came rushing in. The distraction caused Quasimodo to act and take the dagger from Frollo's hand. He shoved Frollo into the wall.

"Wait. Now Quasimodo, please. Listen to me...." Frollo said. But Quasimodo wasn't about to.

"No! YOU listen! All my life, you told me how dark and cruel the world was! But now I see the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you! You lied to me!" Quasimodo shouted. Frollo groaned.

"You know what else I've lied to you about? Your mother didn't abandon you. I KILLED her." Frollo said. Everyone gasped. Suddenly, Frollo snatched back the dagger and swung at Quasi, missing him. But as he came at him again, his blade crossed with Richter's axe.

"Don't you even THINK about it you mental case!" Richter shouted. He forced Frollo out the door and had his back to the railing. Frolllo saw Sora, Lloyd, Emil and Richter chase him out towards the balcony. Quasi and the others followed.

"So, what are you going to do now judge? Everyone in town sure doesn't like you and we've got a bit of a score to settle ourselves!" Lloyd asked. Sora nodded. Frollo growled, spying Quasimodo on the gargoyle.

"What am I going to do? I'm going to do something that I should've done twenty years ago!" Frollo exclaimed. He suddenly lashed his cape out at Quasimodo and it grabbed his head. He forced Quasimodo to almost fall over the edge. But suddenly, Esmeralda came rushing towards Quasi and grabbed his hand.

"Hang on!" she exclaimed. Frollo gasped.

"The gypsie lives?! Not for much LONGER!" Frollo exclaimed. He came at Esmeralda, but Sora's Keyblade stopped him.

"No! Your days of terrorizing these people is over!" Sora exclaimed, forcing Frollo back. Frollo eyed the group standing before him and groaned. He snapped his fingers as a Heartless appeared and latched onto his back. It appeared the same as Illuminator, but was more like a spider with a vicious face.

"Come on! You don't scare us!" Lloyd shouted. Emil nodded, calling for Ratatosk's help.

"Now then.....time you paid for all of your crimes!" Ratatosk shouted "For the people of this town, we'll banish you to the deepest depths of darkness!" Frollo lunged for them, crossing blades with Sora.

"Take this!" Richter shouted. He attacked from behind Sora and connected with Mortal Summoner. Frollo was thrown back to the rail before the Heartless shot a string of web towards the wall, pulling him back.

"You! You're all with them! None of you know what the true meaning of divine judgment!" Frollo shouted. But as he came at Lloyd, Frollo's sword was effortlessly knocked out of his hand. Auron came at Frollo but Frollo avoided him.

"No! If anyone doesn't understand what the true meaning of "judgment" or "justice" is around here is YOU!" Lloyd shouted. He attacked with Double Demon Fang and forced Frollo back. Frollo growled and summoned more Heartless before seemingly jumping off.

"What the?! That lunatic just jumped off!" Marta exclaimed. But as the Heartless came their way, Frollo was using the Heartless to swing across the gargoyle heads from below to reach Esmeralda and Quasimodo. Marta and the others gave aide to Sora as the Heartless attacked. Kairi hurried over to help Esmeralda.

"Where'd he go?! I don't see him!" Emil shouted. Suddenly, Sora looked back and there was Frollo on the gargoyle head next to Esmeralda and he had reclaimed his sword!

"Oh no! Frollo! Don't!" Sora exclaimed. But Frollo had finally lost it, laughing wickedly as he raised his blade above the girls' heads.

"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" he exclaimed. Kairi looked up, terrified at Frollo's insane glare in his eyes.

"No! Don't you DARE!" Sora exclaimed. He came charging and drove his Keyblade into the neck of the gargoyle head. It began to crack and threw off Frollo's balance. The others hurried over as Frollo hung on for his life.

"Now....I think it's about time YOU learned the TRUE meaning of justice!" Lloyd shouted. He drove his blade into the gargoyle, expanding the crack. Frollo said he wasn't going to let them get away with this. But suddenly, he saw the gargoyle's head come alive and snarl at him. He gasped.

"And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" a warped voice laughed. The head suddenly came cracking off the entire way and he was sent plunging down into the lave below, screaming as loud as he could. Everyone watched as Frollo was finally gone and so were the Heartless.

"We did it! We won!" Sora exclaimed. Everyone cheered as Lloyd looked away with a satisfied look. But as the fighting quelled down, another figure was watching them from atop the tower. It was Ultimecia.

"The foolish judge finally gave into the darkness in his heart. And that became his undoing. Quite the shame." she muttered. But she took one last look at Sora before vanishing. The next day, everything was back to normal and the town welcomed Quasimodo into town as a hero.

"Three cheers for Quasimodo and his friends!" Clopin cheered. Everyone in the crowd cheered as loud as they could, letting Sora and the others pass by.

"Well Sora? What about Quasimodo? If you are still building your team, perhaps he could be of some assistance?" Tenebrae asked. But Sora took one look back at the happy Quasimodo.

"Nah. I think he's better off here." Sora said. Richter looked at Quasimodo and smirked.

"All right then. I think we know what to do now. Time to go." Raine said. But just then, Sora's Keyblade began to glow and a light was being casted from the Notre Dame windows. It revealed the keyhole above Sora and with a swing of the blade, he quickly locked it.

"Yep. Now it's time to go." Sora said. Emil looked at Richter and Aqua.

"Are you guys coming too?" Emil asked. Richter looked at the town behind him.

"Well, I guess since there won't be any Heartless problems around here for a while, I guess I can. Besides, I wanna know exactly what's been going on while I've been here." Richter said. Emil nodded.

"Glad to see you too Richter." Marta said. Everyone headed back for the Gummi Ship, leaving the other to be taken back by Raine and Auron. Together, the two ships flew back towards Radiant Gardens.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	48. Ch 48: Two Perfect Girls

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 48: Two Perfect Girls_**

Returning back to Radiant Gardens, two days passed since Sora and his friends helped Quasimodo and defeated Frollo. With them now was Richter Abend and Aqua, two more of Emil's friends that came with them from the same world. Out on the edge of town, Emil and Richter sat together.

"You sure picked a pretty cozy place to make a temporary home out of." Richter said. Emil chuckled.

"Yeah. Well, it feels a lot better knowing all of my friends are okay." Emil said. Richter smirked, thinking that included him too.

"Of course it does Richter. Even though what happened before, I still value you as my friend. You helped me stand up for myself." Emil said. Richter looked away.

"Yeah. Well at least you're not apologizing so much anymore. That's a start." Richter said. Emil reached behind him and asked Richter if he was hungry, passing him one of Scrooge's ice creams.

"Thanks." Richter said. Emil and Richter sat together on the wall, looking out at the sun, before Marta asked to join. She sat by Emil and was eating ice cream with them as well. Inside the team base, Axel was fast asleep on the couch. Roxas and Sora passed by, seeing Axel asleep.

"Oh boy. Not again. Is it me or does Axel nap a lot?" Sora asked. Roxas said it was the same in Organization XIII. Figuring he should wake up, Roxas and Sora slowly crept over towards Axel and tickled his nose. Axel began to stir and when he opened his eyes, he yelped from shock and fell over.

"Ha ha. Very cute." Axel groaned. He looked at the nearby window and figured it was time to get up.

"Probably is. Wouldn't want you falling back asleep again." Roxas said. Axel sighed and stood up, rattling his head.

"Hey Axel? You've seen Xion or Kairi?" Sora asked.

"Oh. The girls? Think they said they were going to go out for a while. Probably off doing girl stuff or something." Axel said. Roxas looked at the clock and tried to see how long it was.

"Well, I feel like checking out town again. There was something I wanted to show Roxas." Axel said. Sora and Roxas both seemed a bit puzzled. But Axel didn't even explain as he suddenly was leading Roxas with him out the front door.

"Weird. I never knew this was the REAL Axel." Sora said, scratching his head. Outside, Roxas was walking alongside Axel.

"All right Axel. What's going on?" Roxas asked. Axel looked around before sitting down on a bench with Roxas.

"Okay. I'll talk. I've been pondering about this since we got our hearts." Axel said. Roxas made sure to listen to Axel.

"You remember when we were in the Organization? How you and Xion got along so well and you seemed like a perfect team? Then when you lost your memories about her, you met Naminé?" Axel asked. Roxas asked if Axel was going anywhere with this.

"Well, I've been thinking. Which girl do you like more? Little Naminé or our old Organization pal Xion?" Axel asked. Roxas gasped, blushing bright red.

"Which......Which of the girls do I like more?! Is that what you were thinking about Axel?! That's just.....eww!" Roxas groaned. Axel chuckled.

"Hey. Don't blaim me for innocent thinking. So? Which girl is the lucky one?" Axel asked. Roxas could only stutter.

"Come on Axel! Cut it out! I.....I can't answer that!" Roxas exclaimed. But Axel couldn't help but laugh. Meanwhile, Kairi met with Ansem in his study. She was puzzled by the memories she suddenly remembered while visiting Notre Dame and hoped Ansem could help.

"And that's everything that happened Ansem. What do you think?" Kairi asked. Ansem pondered for a moment.

"Well, I must say Kairi that I never really heard of anything like what you just told me. It's actually a bit fascinating." Ansem said. Kairi wish she knew what was going on. First she could protect herself from the knight's magic, be able to heal Bolt, blow away Heartless in a giant light and then these memories.

"Kairi, all I can say is that this is truly a mystery. I think I'll do a little digging myself. You are welcomed to read any of the books that I have in my library. Maybe they can help." Ansem said. Kairi thanked Ansem for his advice and left. When she left, Ansem looked towards the door leading to his computer.

"Those memories....could they REALLY be?" Ansem thought. Back at the team base, Raine was reading over some of the notes Jiminy had written down over their journeys.

"I must say Jiminy, you certainly know how to keep your notes well." Raine said. The small cricket chuckled.

"It's my specialty. I'm quite a record keeper." Jiminy said. As Raine read, Sora passed by.

"Hey Raine, what are you doing?" Sora asked. Raine was just saying she felt like reading over some of the things in Jiminy's journal. She found it quite fascinating when she read the entires of the ancient Keybladers.

"Yeah. I find it a bit funny you never mentioned anything about them. I guess we really saw that "Ruin Mode" thing when you came to the church to help us." Sora said. Raine chuckled.

"Well, now that I have the chance to sit down and read about them, I truly am fascinated. To think, your weapon has not only helped maintain the balance between light and darkness, but it's been around for millions of years." Raine said. Suddenly, Sora saw a flash in Raine's eye. Genis came by.

"Hmm? Oh boy. I know that glint in her eye. She's gonna go into Ruin Mode soon." Genis said. Sure enough, Raine was.

"And the more I think about it, the Keyblade in the empty realm is also amazing. From what you said, it gave birth to hearts. Can that be possible? Bring hearts back from the darkness so easily? If that Keyblade was still here, who knows of it's capabilities!" Raine squealed. Sora and Genis sighed.

"Just ignore her Sora and it'll stop. Come on." Genis said, leading Sora away. Back in town, Roxas was dared by Axel to just admit which girl he liked more. Roxas sighed and guessed Naminé.

"You GUESS? Come on. Is that a fact or not?" Axel asked. Just then, they saw Naminé and Xion coming by. Both were quite happy and seem to be talking with each other.

"Ah. Here come the two lovely ladies." Axel said. Roxas groaned.

"Go on Roxas. Why not try having a double date and see who you like best?" Axel asked. Roxas stuttered as Axel pushed him towards them.

"Axel! Come on! Quit it!" Roxas muttered. But he soon found himself looking at Xion and Naminé.

"Oh. Hey girls. I was looking for you." Roxas said. Xion asked if something was up. Roxas looked back for Axel, but see he went away and left him. He decided to "lie" and say that he felt like hanging out today.

"Really? That's nice Roxas. You're welcome to join us." Naminé said. Roxas thanked her and decided to tag along. As they walked by, Axel emerged from a nearby alley.

"Now this ought to be interesting. Let's just see who you like more Roxas." Axel thought. So Axel followed behind Roxas and the girls, making sure to keep his distance. Roxas decided that the only way to satisfy Axel, seeing him from the corner of his eye, was to make it seem like he was treating the girls to a date.

"What? You want a what?!" Xion stuttered. He only whispered to them that Axel put him up to this. Naminé and Xion could faintly see Axel from afar and promised to help fool Axel.

"So, where were you girls going anyway?" Roxas asked.

"Oh. We remembered that there was this really neat concert going on in the park. Do you want to go see it?" Xion asked. Roxas thanked her and decided it would be pretty cool. Meanwhile, Sora was out gathering supplies with Genis.

"Well, I think we got all of them." Genis said. Sora agreed, carrying a bag in his arm. Just then, they saw Riku sitting out by the Synthesis Shop.

"Huh? Riku? What's up?" Sora asked. Riku looked up and sighed.

"It's Kairi. I think something is going on with her. Haven't you noticed how strangely she's been acting lately?" Riku asked. Sora asked Riku to define what he meant.

"The strange new powers and what happened yesterday? Don't tell me you haven't noticed Sora." Riku said. Sora groaned.

"Of course I've noticed. I'm worried about her too. But when I tried asking some of the other Keybladers that are with me, they didn't know either." Sora said. Riku thought for a moment.

"Well, I think we should agree to keep a close eye on Kairi." Riku said. Sora nodded.

"I really hope it's nothing serious. I never heard anything about Kairi until now." Genis said. At the town park, Roxas and the girls sat through the concert. However, it was getting too boring for Axel and he dozed off. Roxas looked back.

"That didn't take long." Roxas thought. When it was over, Roxas and the girls left, but Axel still remained. It wasn't until close to sunset that Axel woke up.

"Heh? What? Oh man. I can't believe it. I lost the kid." Axel groaned. But luckily, he saw Roxas and Naminé pass by. Xion went back to the base while Axel was asleep.

"Thanks for dinner Roxas. It was great." Naminé said. Axel looked a bit surprised.

"Huh? What did I miss while I was asleep?!" Axel thought. Just then, he saw something that made him fall out of his seat, Roxas and Naminé kissed.

"Whoa. Guess I figured it out. The kid likes someone who was more leaned towards his own kind, not a replica." Axel thought. But as Axel left with a satisfied look, Roxas and Naminé chuckled.

"He bought it. That ought to get him to stop now." Roxas said. Naminé nodded, but still said she liked Roxas spending time with her.

"If you ever want to hang out again Naminé, it's cool by me." Roxas said. Naminé smiled, blushing a bit.

"Okay. Come on. Let's head back Roxas." Naminé said. She slowly took Roxas' hand, surprising him a bit. But Roxas couldn't help but smile back.

"All right." he whispered. Roxas and Naminé walked back towards the base, still holding each other's hands. But when they returned, they saw Sora and some of the others listening to what Axel said about their "date".

"I don't believe it. That's a bit of a shock." Sora said. Just then, everyone noticed Roxas and Naminé, still holding hands. Roxas blushed and quickly let go.

"Heh. So our little Roxas is starting to become a man. Good for you." Zelos chuckled. Roxas groaned.

"No! Zelos! It's not....Axel!" Roxas exclaimed. Axel chuckled.

"You know Roxas, it's okay to ask us for any advice if you're having trouble telling someone how you feel about them. We'd be happy to help." Regal said. Roxas groaned and grabbed his head.

"I'm telling you! It wasn't anything! Besides, when did I ever say date?! Axel! What did you tell them?!" Roxas exclaimed. As Roxas continued to shout, Naminé walked off with a smile.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	49. Ch 49: Welcome to Neon City

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 49: Welcome to Neon City!_**

Today, Sora was on another mission to deal with Heartless. But this time was a bit different. The only two who came with him was his friends Donald and Goofy.

"Well, with Kairi staying behind to research more and Riku helping her, I guess it's just the three of us this time." Sora said. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"Ya know? It feels just like old times again." Goofy chuckled.

"Yeah. Just the three of us." Donald said. Sora chuckled.

"The original Heartless stomping, world saving trio....out on a misson all for themselves." Sora said. The three glanced at each other and chuckled.

"So, what is this world anyway?" Goofy asked.

"I dunno. Cid told me that it was one of those worlds that seemed closer to the darkness than the others. So, I guess the Heartless must be acting up a bit there." Sora said. Up ahead of them, they saw the world approaching. It was strangely all lit up with so many neon lights and big buildings.

"Looks like a party down there." Donald said. Sora slowly brought the Gummi Ship down and it landed gently down in the town square. When they stepped out, they were amazed by seeing the pitch black sky, buzzing neon signs and there was loud music all around.

"Gawrsh. We sure haven't been HERE before." Goofy said. Sora looked at the ground and it seemed to be decorated with poker chips.

"Yeah. This place....sure is strange." Sora said. Just then, they heard "Ya got that right." from someone behind them. They looked back and saw Axel!

"Wha....What the?! Axel? When did you..?" Sora asked.

"What? You think you can have all the fun? Besides, maybe I wanted to see this world too." Axel said, stepping out of the ship. Just then, someone else leaped out. It was Jack!

"Amazing! So THIS is what it's like to be in a new world." Jack said. Sora gasped.

"Jack?! When did you get on board?!" Sora exclaimed. Jack said he snuck onboard with Axel. Sora glared at Axel and groaned.

"Hey. The skeleton man has the right to one trip out, right?" Axel asked. Just then, they saw Zelos stepping out too.

"Zelos too?!" Donald squawked. Goofy wondered how they could've missed them.

"Well, I've got the right too, don't I? You always seem to ask Emil or Marta to come along or the others, but why don't you ever invite me?" Zelos asked. Sora groaned, slapping himself in the face.

"Whatever. I guess our solo mission is a bust guys." Sora said. Donald and Goofy sighed. Zelos asked where they were anyway.

"Where? My man! You're in Neon City!" a voice shouted. Everyone looked ahead and saw a man dressed in a strange attire. He seemed to be dressed like an 70's man with a cane, green and white coat and a black afro.

"Welcome to Neon City my cool catz! I guess you're new around these parts? Well, you picked one of the grooviest places to crash down in my main man." he said. Sora and the others said nothing, rather confused by his language.

"What did you just say?" Sora asked.

"Oh come on bro! Have your ears gone sour on you? Did you not hear? I SAID you're in Neon City, the city that never sleeps! Come on! Dance the dance of love my brothers!" he exclaimed. Sora groaned.

"Speak English ya loon. What's your name?" Axel asked. The man twirled his cane and shifted his lenses.

"My bro's call me Nee and I'm the KING of this town! Now who might all of y'all be?" Nee asked. Sora figured they had no choice and introduced themselves.

"Zora? What a whacked out name." Nee said. Sora sighed and said his name again.

"Well, that's another story. Did you all come for the celebration downtown? Another new face is rocking like there's no tomorrow! You've gotta come and see!" Nee said. He suddenly hooked Sora's arm with his cane, but Sora's arm slipped out before he could get pulled away.

"Fine. Let's go." Sora said. The group followed Nee as they entered the bustling city. But from afar, a figure in a white jacket observed them. Downtown, Sora saw the city had transformed into some kind of giant square and in the center was a large stage. The music played around them was so loud that their ears couldn't take it.

"Why is it so loud around here?" Donald asked, covering his ears. Sora looked around and saw Jack was gone.

"Where's Jack?" Sora asked.

"I think he took off to explore on his own! He left right when we met Mister Lunatic over here!" Axel shouted, pointing at Nee. Sora groaned, thinking they'd have to hunt him down later. But suddenly, Sora saw someone familiar on stage. Directly under the stage's spotlight was a man wearing a long blue jacket and a black undershirt. But one look at his instrument made him oblivious to Sora. It was Demyx.

"It's him! That weird Organization XIII guy!" Donald squawked.

"Come on! We better get up there! No telling what he's up to!" Sora shouted. Taking no chance, Sora, Donald and Goofy drew their weapons and dashed towards the stage. Nee scratched his head as Zelos was soon caught up in someone's dance.

"Now what those cats up to?" Nee said. Suddenly, as Demyx was playing louder on his sitar, Sora and the others jumped onto stage. Their sudden appearance silenced all the music. Demyx gasped.

"Wha! You again?!" Demyx exclaimed.

"That's right! We could recognize you no matter what disguise you wear....Organization XIII!" Sora shouted. Demyx looked around at everyone staring at the two of them.

"Hold on! You've got it all wrong kid! I'm not up to anything....!" Demyx stuttered. But suddenly, a young teenage girl came up onto the stage.

"Yo spike head! What's your deal?! You music haters or what?!" the girl asked. Sora looked back and saw the girl wore a red and black stripped tank top, white shorts and a white cap on her head. She had dark pink hair.

"Who are you?" Donald asked. The girl huffed.

"The name's Jazz. And just who are YOU three? The music police?" Jazz asked. Sora sighed.

"Listen. You don't know this guy. He once helped try to commit something horrible...." Sora explained before Jazz slapped Sora in the back of the head.

"Cool your jets spikey." Jazz said. Sora groaned.

"It's not spikey! My name is Sora!" Sora exclaimed. Jazz growled.

"Well I'll keep calling you spikey! Ya got that?!" she shouted. Soon, Sora and Jazz were staring at each other's face and growling. Suddenly, Nee came onto the stage when he saw Jazz.

"Could my eyes be fooling me or is the lovely lady Jazz in person?" Nee asked. Jazz groaned.

"Great. Now who invited him?" Jazz asked. Sora rubbed the back of his head.

"At least someone here speaks English." Sora sighed. Donald agreed, hearing mostly everyone else speaking the same as they entered the square. Figuring they needed a talk, Sora spoke with Nee, Jazz and Demyx when Demyx's song was over.

"Okay then. Why are you here?" Sora asked.

"Me? Well, though this weird guy in a dark suit of armor gave me a free ticket out of that empty void, I decided that he wasn't for me. So, with careful planning, I managed to escape here. Now I get to rock out as much as I want with no brats like Larxene to deal with." Demyx explained. Sora then glanced at Jazz.

"And if you're about to ask ME that question, I live here smart aleck." Jazz said. Axel managed to break away from a pair of dancers before seeing Demyx.

"Whaddya know? Is that you Demyx?" Axel called. Demyx gasped.

"Whoa! Axel?! But....hey! How'd you get out?" Demyx asked. Axel chuckled and patted Sora's back.

"How? Thanks to this kid. His little Keyblade tricks got me a heart back. Now I feel better than ever." Axel said. Demyx gasped, demanding Axel explain himself. As he did, Nee shifted closer to Jazz.

"So, how is my sweet cat doing today? Haven't seen you around for eons babe." Nee said. Jazz groaned.

"Give it a rest Nee. You know I like Vibe more." Jazz said. Hearing that name, Nee growled.

"Jazz? I thought I asked you not to EVER mention that dirty dog's name again!" Nee exclaimed. Sora suddenly looked back, seeing the two arguing.

"When are you going to drop that Nee? Vibe was right. You've really lost it. We were all once good brothers with one another. What made you go and leave?" Jazz asked. Nee groaned.

"Why not ask our lying brother my sister? He stabbed me twice in da back and never gave back a single ounce of sympathy!" Nee shouted. Sora asked who Vibe was.

"Vibe's my boyfriend, though "cranky-pants" Nee here doesn't like him." Jazz said. Nee groaned.

"I don't think we saw Vibe. Does he live around here?" Sora asked.

"No duh. We ALL do spikey." Jazz said. Sora sighed and asked again that she call him "Sora", his real name.

"I'll call ya spikey as long as you keep acting dumb." Jazz said. Sora groaned.

"Don't worry Sora. We still know your name isn't "spikey." Goofy said. Sora glanced at his friend.

"Thanks Goofy." Sora said.

"By the way, where DID you three come from? You sure don't look like you're from around here." Jazz asked. Sora was about to explain, but suddenly, the power went out around all of them.

"Hey! What happened? Why the bulbs stop shining?" Nee asked. Suddenly, a lone spotlight shined on stage. Under it was the white jacket teen watching Sora. This was Vibe. Vibe wore purple jeans with red stripes, a big white jacket and a black beanie on his head. Around his neck was a red cape.

"Hello to all who live within our glorious town! I've got an announcement!" Vibe called. Nee growled, clenching his cane.

"Where did you come from you cheating skunk?!" Nee exclaimed. Vibe laughed.

"Well, well, well....if it ain't Nee the town nut case? Ha ha ha!" Vibe laughed. Nee growled.

"I'm serious! Who do you think you are coming on stage like that during a song?! Whatever you scheming, give up now!" Nee exclaimed. Vibe chuckled.

"Why would I do that? Especially when you are looking at the NEW king of Neon City!" Vibe declared. Sora and the others gasped.

"What the?" Sora thought. Suddenly, with a snap, Vibe summoned Neoshadow and Cresendo Heartless. The other citizens gasped.

"Now bow down to me!" Vibe exclaimed. He waved his hand and the Heartless jumped into the crowd. They sent everyone running away screaming.

"Whoa! Who's his new road crew?" Jazz asked.

"Heartless! Guys! Come on!" Sora called. But just then, Vibe took a giant leap off the stage and landed in the middle of Sora's group. He suddenly snatched Demyx's sitar, grabbed Jazz's wrist and then jumped away.

"What the?! Ack! My sitar!" Demyx exclaimed.

"Jazz! Let her go skunk!" Nee shouted. Vibe laughed.

"Sorry. No dice my old friend. Jazz rolls with my crew now! You had your chance. But even me and the Heartless know that your days as Neon City's king are through!" Vibe laughed before fleeing the scene with Jazz under his arm. The Heartless vanished with him.

"What? You're REALLY this world's leader?" Sora asked.

"More like guardian. From what Nee has told me, he's been watching over this town since his dad passed on." Demyx said. Sora and the others gasped.

"Jazz is like my family to me. She's the light that fills my glowing heart. Without her, I just can't groove, ya know?" Nee asked. Sora suddenly realized Nee was a bit like Sora, feeling the same about Kairi.

"Then come on. Let's go find Vibe. He and Jazz couldn't have gotten too far." Sora said. Donald and Goofy gasped.

"You sure Sora?" Donald asked. Sora nodded.

"We better move then. This guy knows this place better than we do. He could be anywhere." Axel said. They asked Zelos if he was coming, but saw he was caught up with the fleeing people.

"Great. Remind me to find Zelos AND Jack before we go." Sora sighed. Axel asked Nee if he had any idea where Vibe would be going.

"I might. Come on. Follow me cats, you dig?" Nee said. Everyone followed Nee as he led the way. Meanwhile, in a dark part of town, Jazz was kept by Vibe's side. Her wrists were tied up together by rope.

"Yo Vibe! What's going on? Who are those guys you were with?" Jazz asked.

"You mean the Heartless? Well, I met them not too long ago. With their help, I will be this town's new king." Vibe said. Jazz thought Vibe was joking, knowing that Nee was the "fuddy dud" guardian.

"That's the thing. Nee's too much a twit to protect anything, much alone his girl. And if you're gonna ask why I took you, it's so I could bring Nee to his justly needed end." Vibe said. Jazz gasped.

"You....You're not gonna...!" Jazz stuttered. Vibe chuckled.

"That's right. When Nee comes here, his days of dancing will be OVER." Vibe said. Jazz gasped.

"I guess since it'll be over soon, I should tell you. Nee's telling the truth. I did betray him. But I think I'll spoil it when he gets here." Vibe said. Jazz couldn't believe it.

"Vibe.....what....what's wrong with you?" she thought.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	50. Ch 50: The Final Dance Off

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon _**

**_Chapter 50: The Final Dance Off_**

As Vibe held Jazz hostage deep within town, Sora and the others were looking around for any signs of them or Heartless.

"This doesn't feel good. We've searched the town really well and there's still no sign of them." Axel said. Sora looked around, surprised that such a large city could really make it difficult to find them.

"Nee? Are you sure you know where we're going?" Goofy asked. Nee looked around.

"Yeah doggie. I'm sure we are. If I know that skunk Vibe, he's GOT to be close by." Nee said.

"But finding them is like searching through a giant haystack." Donald sighed. Nee groaned, wishing to know what Vibe was planning. Meanwhile, Jack was having his own look around the world. He came upon someone's home and knocked. When the door opened, he was greeted with a shocked expression.

"Hello there!" Jack exclaimed. The woman screamed and ducked back inside, shouting "Skeleton!" loudly. Just then, another citizen passed by and saw Jack.

"Whoa. Nice face paint there brother." he said. Jack looked confused and plucked his head off.

"Paint? Where? Oh. I hope it isn't permament. I like to keep my head shiny." Jack said. The man gasped and quickly darted off as Jack attached his head.

"Huh. There sure are a lot of people here acting jumpy." Jack thought. Just then, Jack saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw Vibe with Jazz close by his legs, asking him to release her.

"I told you darling. I'm not undoing anything until Nee shows up." Vibe said. Jazz groaned.

"Whatever you're planning, Nee's going to stop you!" Jazz shouted. Jack gasped.

"Wait a second. That girl. She's in trouble! I've got to tell Sora!" Jack shouted. He quickly dashed off, heading back for the center of town. Luckily, he just happened to find Sora down there.

"Sora! Hey Sora!" Jack called. He quickly dashed over and told them what he saw, pointing the way as well.

"So, that's where our little cowardly friend has run off to." Nee said. Axel huffed.

"We got him now. Come on." Axel said. Following Jack, Sora and the others rushed downtown and after dealing with a few Heartless appearing, they finally caught up to Vibe and Jazz. The area appeared to be a large arena, decorated like a casino.

"Vibe! There you are you little skunky skunk you!" Nee exclaimed. Jazz gasped and was about to call Nee before Vibe chuckled.

"Well, whaddya know? I thought you'd never come Nee. Guess you've got guts after all. So, how's your dear old dad been anyway?" Vibe asked. Nee growled.

"Listen up right now Vibe! I'll never forget what you did! Thanks to you and your papa's crew, my pop's bitten the dust!" Nee shouted. Jazz and the others gasped.

"What?! You....You and your father killed Nee's dad? Why?!" Sora asked. Vibe chuckled.

"What else? We were a bit jealous, jealous that these clowns were given the duty of being the protector of this town. Though our dads started as friends, it was my father's jealousy that did him in." Vibe said "Luckily for me, everyone trusts me and no one EVER found out about my involvment." Jazz looked up at Vibe, now shocked.

"No. Vibe....you....." Jazz said. Nee growled and pointed his cane at Vibe.

"Yeah! Except for one problem with that! I saw it! I heard my dad's home getting trashed and ransacked! And I saw you Vibe! I SAW you!" Nee shouted. Vibe huffed.

"So what if you did? Even with my father gone now, I'm gonna finish his goal....and take out one more PEST that's in our way. YOU!" Vibe shouted. He suddenly drew a glowing purple whip from under his jacket and summoned Neoshadows.

"Heartless! Deal with the others! Nee is mine." Vibe ordered. Vibe leaped down into the arena and faced Nee. The Heartless came at Sora and the others.

"Come on! Let's roast these things." Axel said. Just then, Demyx saw his sitar on Vibe's back. And the boys were about to fight.

"Gah! Don't let that break!" Demyx exclaimed. Sora asked what was so important about his sitar and learned that if his guitar was broken, Demyx would fade away again, still being a Nobody. Demyx gasped as Nee and Vibe began to clash.

"What a PEST you've been my whole life Nee my former friend. Too bad your dad isn't around to see this." Vibe said. Nee growled and suddenly casted a large blast of fire towards Vibe from his cane, scaring him back.

"Don't talk to me that way again ya double crossing skunk!" Nee shouted "We swore on our pinkies that we'd be best buds forever! And you BROKE it!" Nee roared and came charging for Vibe, slamming him into the wall. But suddenly, Vibe opened a dark corridor and escaped into it.

"Oh really? Well, that was before I knew the dark secret your family had been keeping from me! So now...it's PAYBACK time!" Vibe's voice echoed. Nee growled.

"Where'd you go coward?!" Nee exclaimed. Suddenly, Vibe appeared from behind and lashed Nee with his whip. Jazz gasped.

"Get him Nee! Get him!" Jazz exclaimed. Sora and Axel were making short work of the Neoshadows and Jack's magic made it go by faster. With the Heartless gone, Donald quickly began to run towards Vibe. But Sora stopped him.

"No Donald. This is his fight." Sora said. Nee got back up and clubbed Vibe with his cane before casting lightning down at him.

"It's over Vibe! Don't you get it yet?! Your next pad will be a jail cell!" Nee exclaimed. Vibe groaned.

"Dang it. I forgot your family had to know magic." Vibe groaned. But he smirked and suddenly lashed out for Nee's cane, forcefully ripping it out of his hand with the whip.

"Ha! Try that again without your cane you hair brained fool!" Vibe laughed. He lashed furiously at Nee with his whip, sending him skidding back with one final hit to his chest. Vibe then whipped out Demyx's sitar.

"Time for the Heartless to dance!" Vibe called. He began playing a creepy tune, summoning more Cresendo and Neoshadows.

"Ha! All the Heartless in the world can't stop my groove!" Nee huffed. Vibe growled and sent them to attack. But Nee was able to cartwheel past them, leap over Vibe and grab his arms.

"Give it up Vibe! You were never meant to be the king of Neon City! I was!" Nee shouted. Vibe growled.

"Shut up! Just SHUT UP!" Vibe exclaimed. He broke free, dropped Demyx's sitar to the ground and started punching Nee. Demyx quickly raced over and grabbed it, happy the Heartless didn't get it. Jazz watched as Vibe was beating Nee up with no end.

"Nee....I....I never knew. All this time, I thought.....I thought you were just some over helpful fool who was going to be nothing but a clown. But....But now....I understand WHY you're like that. That's....That's you." Jazz thought as a tear came to her eye. Vibe's last punch suddenly missed as Nee ducked down and swung his leg, tripping Vibe. He soon grabbed Vibe by his collar.

"Listen......you. I....I wanted to be your friend. It....It was your dad's stupid.....ambitions that got you to hate me. What happened? We were the best of friends. Come on Vibe. Snap back. Return to your former self, the one that was my friend." Nee said. Suddenly, Vibe grabbed Nee's shirt and his fist glowed black.

"No. YOU listen fool. That Vibe....is GONE!" Vibe shrieked. He quickly threw Nee over his shoulder and slammed him hard on his back. Jazz gasped.

"Nee!" she screamed. Sora suddenly drew his Keyblade.

"Now I get it! That's not Vibe! That's a Heartless!" Sora shouted. Nee groaned, looking up at the shadowy aura surrounding Vibe.

"Vibe.....what....what's up with you bro?" Nee groaned. Vibe chuckled and clutched Nee's shirt.

"Sheesh. You're rather slow, aren't you? Vibe ain't here. He NEVER was." Vibe said. But just then, Sora attacked Vibe and struck a strong blow to Vibe's head.

"All right Heartless! Game's over! Come on out!" Sora called. Vibe chuckled and with a deep breath, he blew out dark haze and Vibe's body collapsed. Suddenly forming from the black haze was a Dark Thorn.

"Yeehaw! Now that I'm out.....time to dance Keyblader!" the Heartless exclaimed. On the ground, Vibe and Nee glanced at one another.

"Ne......Nee?" Vibe groaned.

"Vibe. It's you. It's....really you. I can see.....that old twinkle in your eyes." Nee said. Vibe chuckled.

"Yeah. S....Sorry. I....I've been carrying around...that Heartless inside.....me since our dads.....fought. That....That was the reason why all this started. The....The Heartless heard my.....dad's urge for power and it......it.....it granted his wish, but needed a host." Vibe muttered. Nee asked why the Heartless was inside of him.

"When....my dad passed on, it was fixated....so the Heartless would curse.....the son of it's....last host and it's influence....made me help. I'm sorry." Vibe said. But Nee smiled.

"I....I forgive you.....pal." Nee said. Vibe smiled. Meanwhile, the Heartless came at Sora in a blaze of furious attacks. He laughed as he sent Sora and the others flying.

"Come on! That all you got?!" Dark Thorn laughed. Sora groaned.

"Not a CHANCE!" Sora shouted. He threw his Keyblade at Dark Thorn and smacked it in the face before coming back and striking the back of his head like a boomerang.

"Thunder!" Donald squawked, frying the Heartless with a bolt of lightning. Jack came at the Heartless, engulfed by ice. Dark Thorn snarled and swatted Jack away.

"Hey ugly! Catch!" Axel shouted. He flung his chakrams towards Dark Thorn and ended up slicing parts of it's hair off. It snarled and came towards Axel, but was suddenly stopped when someone else appeared. Finally returning was Zelos.

"Hey there guys. Sorry I'm late. You wouldn't BELIEVE the traffic." Zelos said. Dark Thorn and the others looked on at Zelos, a little surprised to see he showed up.

"Uhh....guys? Why don't we worry about this guy first before asking HOW Zelos finally caught up?" Axel asked. Zelos huffed.

"Fine. You should be glad I'm here. Hey Heartless! You want a piece of me?" Zelos asked. Dark Thorn figured Zelos was joining and came at him, ready to strike.

"Heh. Taste a little Light Spear Cannon!" Zelos shouted. He thrusted his blade at the Heartless and slammed a large ball of light into Dark Thorn's chest. The attack sent Dark Thorn skidding back. Zelos chuckled.

"Come on." Zelos teased. Dark Thorn growled and came at him again, but met Sora's Keyblade to the face.

"All right. Time to finish this. Vibe's dad might've started this, but we're the ones that going to finish it." Sora said. Dark Thorn roared and attacked, but didn't count on the fact he was charging straight at Sora, Donald and Goofy unleashing a full powered Trinity at him.

"Gah!" the large Heartless roared as their final attack caused Dark Thorn to completely fall apart and vanish into black dust. With Dark Thorn destroyed, the group headed back to the city and everyone rejoiced Sora's victory.

"Aw man. I can't believe I missed all of that." Zelos groaned.

"Sorry Zelos. We lost track of you when you got swept away by the crowd." Sora said. Zelos sighed and covered his face with his hand.

"Do you think Vibe and Nee are going to be all right?" Goofy asked.

"All right? Of course we are! What do ya think doggie?!" a voice called. Sora and the others looked back, surprised by seeing Vibe and Nee standing perfectly straight up.

"What the?! But....But you two were.....!" Sora stuttered. Jazz chuckled.

"Yeah. They're fast healers. That's all I gotta say." Jazz said. Nee chuckled and wrapped his arm around Jazz.

"Come on my little jazz gal! Let's show this town just how WE jive!" Nee laughed. Jazz chuckled.

"All right. Hey Sora? You're an all right guy." Jazz said. Sora chuckled and watched as Nee and Jazz began dancing together. Sora glanced at the others.

"Okay guys? Just slowly.....head back for the ship." Sora muttered. They agreed and slowly crept away, not wanting to have anymore business with this weird world. Demyx watched them leave and chuckled.

"See ya around Sora. Glad ya stopped by." Demyx thought. Having reached the Gummi Ship, they quickly boarded it and took off. Once out of the world's atmosphere, Sora and the others sighed.

"Okay. Is it me or is something up with everyone back down there? There was ONE incident and everyone seems to forget about it shortly after." Axel said. Sora chuckled.

"Well, Nee and Vibe are friends again, the Heartless is gone and.....what the?" Sora said. He suddenly saw his Keyblade glow and then so did Neon City's world.

"Hey! Sora!" Donald called. Sora went to the back and saw a giant keyhole appearing on the world's surface.

"Oh. Almost forgot." Sora said. He raised his Keyblade and a trail of light came soaring through the ship and hit the keyhole, locking it up completely.

"All right. Come on guys. Back to Radiant Garden we go." Sora said. Taking one last look back, Sora and the others flew off again, returning back to their base. When they returned, they found Kairi reading in her room with Marta.

"Oh. Hi boys." Marta said.

"How was your journey Sora? Was that world interesting?" Kairi asked. Sora chuckled.

"Trust me Kairi. You do not KNOW how bizarre that world was." Sora joked.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	51. Ch 51: Haunting Memories

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 51: Haunting Memories_**

The next day, Sora told his friends about their experiences in Neon City. Kairi and Riku were a little surpirsed to see that this world was like the complete opposite of the quiet and calming surroundings of Destiny Islands.

"Believe me. It must've been so loud there when we arrived that I thought my ears were gonna go out or something." Sora said. Jack said it was quite the pleasurable trip, considering he snuck aboard and all.

"Yeah. Remind me to ask Cid to set up a security camera or something around the ship." Sora said. The others chuckled.

"What? It didn't go so bad." Zelos said.

"Really? Since when did we invite any of you to come along anyway?" Donald asked. Zelos fell silent after that. But just then, Lilo and Raine came in with news to tell.

"You guys won't believe what we saw in town a little while ago. There's a new hot spring spa opened up in town! We saw Leon and the others down there." Lilo said.

"Wow? Really?" Kairi asked. Raine nodded, saying they saw quite a few people down there already.

"Maybe we should take a look. We've been working hard lately and it might do us some good." Genis said. He glanced towards Sora, hoping he agree and he did. Sora asked Riku if he wanted to join them but they couldn't spot him.

"Hey. Where's Riku?" Genis asked.

"I believe he went out a little while ago. He said he was doing a sweep for any Heartless." Presea said. Zelos looked away and figured Riku was too serious. Meanwhile, Riku had just entered the center of town. He took a look around, Keyblade at his side.

"Hmm. Looks clear around here. But then again, it's been a little quiet since we had to fight that weird doctor. I better take a good look around." Riku said. Recalling his blade, Riku went to look everywhere around town. All the while, a small girl wearing a black coat was watching her.

"There he is. The big meanie." she said. As Riku passed by a fruit cart and it's vendor, the girl reached for a tomato. She followed Riku and then threw it towards him. It nailed Riku in the back of his head.

"Ow. Hey. Who threw that?" Riku groaned. He looked back and saw the girl.

"Huh?" Riku thought.

"I finally found you big meanie man!" she shouted. Riku started to feel really confused now.

"What? What are you talking about?" Riku asked. The girl started to show a pouting face.

"Don't act that way with me! You know what you said to me!" she shouted. Riku groaned.

"Listen. I don't know you. You obviously have the wrong person. So, see ya." Riku said. He then began to walk off, but the little girl grabbed his leg. Riku looked down and groaned.

"You're not getting away from me! You're gonna pay!" she shouted. Riku growled.

"Great. Now I'm starting to hate kids." Riku thought. While Riku had to deal with her, Sora and the others arrived at the new hot spring. They looked around the interior of the lobby and saw a lot of the other citizens there.

"You were right. This place really is popular. Not to mention it's really amazing here." Emil said. Zelos chuckled.

"And look at all the ladies around here. Old Zelos feels lucky today." Zelos chuckled before Sheena hit him hard in the head.

"Better watch it Romeo or every woman is gonna do to you what I just did." Sheena groaned. Zelos huffed and said he bet Sheena was just jealous. Without warning, Sheena grabbed Zelos by his shirt collar and dragged him away. Sora and the others watched.

"Should we be worrying about them?" Sora asked. Lloyd sighed.

"No. Don't worry about them." Lloyd said. Colette chuckled.

"What about you Lloyd? Should we worry about you peeking at us too?" Colette asked. Lloyd gasped and started blushing red. Sora glanced back at him.

"Ssshh! Colette! I told you! It's not what you think it was!" Lloyd stuttered. Sora figured they should check in and Genis agreed. Back in town, Riku had to endure the little girl constantly shouting and having hissy fits.

"Hey kid? Why don't you go back to your mom or wherever you came from? You're starting to annoy me." Riku groaned. The girl groaned.

"Hey! I'm not done with you yet! Just apologize already!" she exclaimed. Riku said he shouldn't have to apologize for anything and started to walk faster. But the girl was right beside him still.

"You do TOO! You called me a fake! You even said my Keyblade was a sham!" she shouted. Riku groaned, swatting his face.

"Great. Why do I have to....wait. Keyblade? A sham? But.....that.....wait a minute." Riku thought. He quickly remembered his confrontation with Xion at Beast's Castle and what he said to her. He even remembered her crying afterwards. Riku looked back and the girl seemed to bear a slight resemblance to Xion.

"Wait a second. How do you know about that? Who are you?" Riku asked. The small girl looked at him.

"My name is Xi. And you still have to apolo....hey!" the girl exclaimed. Riku suddenly grabbed the girl by her arm.

"Come on. You're coming with me." Riku said. The girl started to whine and yell as Riku dragged her. Her heels skidded across the ground. After putting up too much of a fuss, Riku quickly picked up Xi and carried her under his arm. Xi groaned.

"I've got to talk to Ansem about this. Is.....Is this girl really Xion?" Riku thought, glaring at her. Changing back to Sora and the others, Raine, Presea and Lilo were relaxing in the sauna. The warm steam relaxed them.

"Now this is what everyone needs now and then. A chance to unwind from all the problems we've been facing." Raine said. Presea agreed, adding another piece of coal to the fire. Lilo added some water over the stones and steam filled the room. Elsewhere, Sora was playing cards with Genis and Lloyd.

"All right Genis. Fork it over. I called six and I saw you draw a six before." Sora said. Genis groaned, not really wanting to give Sora another pair.

"Wow Sora. You're on a roll today." Lloyd said. Sora chuckled.

"I just got luck. Nothing to it." Sora chuckled. Meanwhile, Jack was standing idly in a heated pool. He scratched his head, still wearing his clothes. With him was Richter, resting peacefully near the edge.

"Now how is this relaxing?" Jack asked himself. While Jack sat and tried to figure things out, Riku finally reached Ansem's Study with Xi still kicking around in his arm. Chip and the others were looking over some of Ansem's notes on his table as he was surprised by Riku entering.

"Riku? What seems to be the trouble?" Ansem asked. Riku put Xi down and told her to stay.

"I don't have to listen to you! Xi can take care of herself!" Xi shouted.

"Ansem? I think something might have happened when Xion became human. I ran into this girl and she...." Riku explained. For a while, Riku told Ansem everything that had occured.

"So, you believe this girl somehow has ties to Xion?" Ansem asked. Riku nodded. Ansem took a good look at Xi's face and could too see the resemblance of Xion in her.

"Young lady? How do you know about the Keyblade?" Ansem asked.

"I know because I do. This meanie picked on Xi. He called her a fake!" Xi shouted. Riku covered her mouth before she started up again.

"I see. Riku? I think you are onto something here. From what I know, this girl could actually be related to Xion." Ansem said. Riku asked how that would be possible.

"From what I can only assume, when Xion was reborn as a human, all of her negative emotions while still the replica of Organization XIII were separated from her. Thus causing them to be reborn as a new person, young Xi." Ansem said. Riku looked down at Xi.

"That makes sense....I think. What can I do to get her to reunite with Xion?" Riku asked. Ansem sighed.

"I do not think Xion and Xi should be fused again. If they do, Xi's negative emotions might have an overwhelming change on Xion's current personality and make her the same as when she attacked you and Sora." Ansem said. Riku sighed.

"Well, what are we going to do with her then?" Riku asked. Just then, an alarm went off inside Ansem's room. It was a new Heartless detector that Cid installed. As Ansem checked the readings, Riku saw Xi ran off.

"Oh geez! Xi!" Riku shouted.

"Riku! Hurry! Head down to the Bailey! A Heartless has appeared!" Ansem exclaimed. Riku groaned and raced off. Not knowing about the problem, Sora was slowly entering a steamed bath. Once he was in, he sighed and gently rested against the edge.

"This place is great. Too bad Riku wasn't here. He really needs to wind down." Sora said. Just then, he heard someone giggle. He turned around and saw Kairi, wearing a dark red bathing suit.

"Yeah. Riku's too stiff." Kairi chuckled. Sora sighed as Kairi entered besides him.

"Hey Kairi. You almost startled me for a second. I thought I got in the girl's bath by mistake." Sora said. Kairi chuckled.

"Don't worry. This isn't the women's bath. If it was, you'd be in for it." Kairi chuckled. Sora soon chuckled too before both fell silent. The two only could glance at one another before Sora finally said anything.

"So, learn anything about your memory yesterday?" Sora asked. Kairi sighed.

"Not really. I couldn't figure out a thing. Sora? Do you think I'm all right? Do you think I'm coming down with something?" Kairi asked. Sora shook his head.

"From all I can guess, you're just fine Kairi." Sora said.

"That's good. But, while I was out, I was so worried that I never see you again." Kairi said. Sora glanced at Kairi.

"I....I don't ever want to lose you Sora. You and Riku really mean a lot to me." Kairi said. Sora sighed.

"Kairi? You'll never lose me or Riku. We're your best friends and are always going to be there for you when you need us. All right?" Sora asked. Kairi nodded. She slowly hugged Sora.

"Thanks Sora." Kairi whispered. Sora smiled and hugged her too. But as they did, someone was spying from a distant. It was Zelos, peeking at young Kairi.

"Well, what do we have here? Finally, we get to see just what kind of young lady Kairi is." Zelos muttered. But just behind him was Lloyd, Emil and Tenebrae.

"Not again. Zelos. Cut it out." Lloyd groaned.

"Yeah Zelos. You almost got caught peeping at Marta and the others before, so stop while you can." Emil said. Zelos hushed him.

"Relax. I'm not peeping. I'm just listening to what they're saying." Zelos said. Lloyd groaned.

"That's another way of peeping Zelos." Lloyd grumbled. Zelos groaned.

"Excuse me bud. But did I ask you to define "peeping" to me? I don't think I did." Zelos said. Just then, Sora could faintly hear Zelos.

"What the? Who's there?" Sora called. Lloyd and Emil gasped. As Lloyd fled, Emil followed close by. Zelos started to run but Sora called his Keyblade and casted Blizzard, trapping Zelos' leg in ice.

"Zelos? What the...? Were you peeking at Kairi?!" Sora shouted. Zelos groaned.

"No! Sora! Wait a second! It's....It's not what you think! I....I was....oh man!" Zelos shouted. Back down at the Bailey, Riku hurried to the scene and there was Xi. She was avoiding and battling the Heartless, a Large Armor.

"Xi! Get away from there!" Riku shouted. Xi looked back before suddenly getting swat away by the Heartless. She tumbled back into a wall and crashed into it.

"All right. You've asked for it! Hey Heartless!" Riku called. The Heartless glared at him before Riku attacked. He unleashed a fast combo towards it and sent it skidding back. He looked back at Xi.

"Xi, don't worry about this. Just stay back and let me handle this." Riku said. Xi groaned.

"Hey! I was doing fine by myself!" Xi shouted "I came to deal with Heartless before and that's what I'll....!" But Riku reminded her that was only because she was originally an Organization XIII pawn.

"You're not strong enough to fight this thing. Just let me handle this!" Riku shouted. Xi groaned.

"No way! Besides, why you being so nice to me anyway ya big meanie?!" Xi asked. Riku groaned.

"Because.....you're right. I do need to apologize." Riku said. Xi looked at Riku, surprised by his words.

"Wh....What?" Xi asked. As the Heartless watched Riku, Riku turned and faced Xi.

"I now get where all of your hate for me came from. You're Xion's emotions, all the negative ones that she felt ever since I beat her. And it really sparked when I called her a fake. But now, since she's a human and helping us....I really think I was wrong to call her that." Riku said. Xi was utterly speechless.

"So....Xi? Though you're not directly the one I said it too, I'm sorry." Riku said. As Xi stood there quietly, the Heartless came at Riku again. It roared and lunged for him. But when Riku was expecting it to attack, it actually leaped over him and came for Xi. Xi gasped.

"Hey!" Riku shouted. With the Heartless drawing near, Riku quickly rushed for Xi and grabbed her before the Heartless punched him directly in the side.

"Riku!" Xi shouted as the two tumbled across the floor. Xi looked up at Riku, seeing something that she didn't see before. Riku got back up.

"All right you. Attacking a innocent girl? That's not very polite." Riku said. The Heartless pounded it's chest and came at him from above. But Riku moved Xi away in time before it came crashing down.

"Xi? Just stand back. I'll protect you." Riku said. Xi said nothing more as Riku came at the Large Armor. Though the Heartless surprised Riku a few times, he was able to finish it off and sent the Heartless crashing down.

"There. Now that ought to....geh!" Riku groaned, suddenly feeling like his knee was cramping up. Xi gasped and rushed over as Riku dropped to one of his knees.

"Riku! Your....Your leg!" Xi gasped. Riku looked at her.

"It's okay Xi. A little price to pay for what I said to you.....when you were still a replica." Riku said. He chuckled a bit.

"What's so funny?" Xi asked.

"Just.....I'm just remembering how much differently I think of you now. When I first met you, I....I never imagined we would meet again and....that I wouldn't have to regret anything I said. But...." Riku said, imaging Xion in his mind.

"Now that you're helping us and getting to make new friends, I never should have called you or your Keyblade a fake. I'm....I'm sorry." Riku said. Just then, Xi rested her hand on Riku's.

"It's......I'm sorry too Riku. You...You protected me, even after.....all that mean stuff I did to you." Xi said. Riku chuckled.

"Time changes people Xi. And it looks like I happened....to change for the better." Riku said. Xi smiled, shedding a small tear. Just then, it seemed like her body was breaking apart into small balls of light. Leaving only a small tear shaped jewel behind, Xi vanished completely.

"Thank you.....Riku." Xi's voice echoed. Riku found the small jewel and considered it a "token" of good will and the settlement of Xion's negative emotions. Riku put the small jewel in his pocket.

"Well, I....better go see how Sora's doing." Riku thought. Still being able to walk, Riku headed over towards the hot spring, hearing from a passing Leon as to where Sora was currently. He found Sora relaxing in a bath with some of the other boys.

"Hey Riku! There you are." Sora called. Riku chuckled.

"What are you doing Sora? Shouldn't you be training?" Riku asked.

"Hey. Even heroes deserve a break now and then. Come on in." Genis said. Riku figured he take up that invite and soon came in with the others. He tried his best to hide his injured knee, thinking Sora didn't have to know about Xi or the Heartless. As he relaxed and unwound with his friends, Xi's crystal was seen with Riku's folded clothes, giving a small glimpse of light.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	52. Ch 52: Return to the Sea

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 52: Return to the Sea_**

Two days after Sora vanquished the Heartless threatening Neon City, Sora watched Kairi praticing magic with Merlin teaching him. Soon after, Sora promised Kairi he would train with her as well. Kairi was practicing casting Thunder, though she nearly shot Merlin with it by mistake.

"Now Kairi. Like I said, focus all of your concentration on what spell you are casting. If you don't, you're liable to zap someone else with that!" Merlin joked. Kairi stuttered.

"I'm...I'm sorry Merlin." Kairi said. Raine passed by and asked Sora how Kairi's training was doing.

"She's actually getting pretty good. Although, she just has to gain better control about where to cast it though." Sora chuckled. Raine watched Merlin and Kairi practicing. She remembered how Genis used to act in class back on Iselia.

"You know Sora? I've been thinking about something. Since we met, I've noticed you haven't once thought about how your journey was going to affect your schoolwork. What is school like where you come from?" Raine asked. Sora glanced at Raine, a little surprised she asked that.

"Oh. School on my home island? Well, I'm pretty sure it's not different from any other school, if that's what you mean." Sora said.

"Hmm. Very well. Because I was thinking that if you are going to be out there fighting against the Heartless, you SHOULD be keeping up on your schoolwork as well." Raine said. Sora gasped.

"Wait a second. What are you getting at?" Sora asked.

"What I am saying is that I would like to start having classes with you and the others on your free days, so that when you DO return home, you won't lack behind in your grades." Raine said. Sora groaned.

"Raine! Come on! We aren't even from the same world!" Sora groaned. But Raine gave Sora that same "serious" look she would give Lloyd.

"I am serious Sora. What if all you think about when you return home is your adventures? Would anyone from your home world believe any of this happened?" Raine asked. Sora decided that the group should take a vote on this.

"Well, Genis already has a vote towards my idea. We just spoke about it before." Raine said. Sora groaned, asking if Raine and Kairi could excuse him for a minute. Inside, Sora found Genis at the table and asked him what he was thinking when he agreed to Raine giving school lessons.

"Don't ask me Sora! She gave me that look! I couldn't refuse!" Genis exclaimed. Sora sighed.

"Last thing I wanted to worry about was my school work when the worlds are in danger." Sora said. Just then, Mickey came in and said that Cid was calling in a distress call from another world.

"Really? Then we'd better...." Sora said before he saw Raine.

"Sora? What about my suggestion about having after mission classes? I've been just starting to worry that...." Raine said. But as she talked, Genis was suddenly yanked away by Sora.

"Whoa!" Genis exclaimed.

"We'll talk later Raine! Duty calls!" Sora called, pulling Genis with him. Raine watched the two leave and sighed.

"Just like Lloyd." Raine thought "Since their adventures begin, they're always traveling." Reaching the base, Sora finally let go of Genis.

"Dude, you didn't have to go pulling me away like that. You could've popped my shoulder out of place or something." Genis said. Sora apologized but said he didn't know what to say to Raine at the moment. Cid looked back and chuckled, asking Sora if he was just bringing Genis this time.

"Uhhh....no. Genis just.....he wanted to find out what world was in trouble." Sora said. Cid brought up the readings on his monitor and the world appeared to be mostly water. It was Atlantica.

"Hey. That's where Ariel lives! Wow. I wonder how she's been." Sora said. Genis asked who Ariel was and Sora explained that Ariel was a friend of his. Figuring this would be a simple mission, Sora went back and brought Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Colette and Genis with him.

"Good luck Sora. Keep an eye out for those Keyblade souls now." Cid said. Sora nodded and waved. Taking off in the Gummi Ship, Raine watched from the front door.

"Hmph. I guess saving worlds is more important than his education." Raine said. But she couldn't help but chuckle.

"That's what I like about him. Good luck today Sora." she thought. Out in space, the Gummi Ship flew off towards Atlantica. They watched as Olympus Coliseum and the other worlds seemed to drift by.

"Wow. So THIS is what it's like to be traveling to a new world. It's so beautiful." Colette said. Sora chuckled.

"Yeah. It's like that sometimes Colette." Sora said. Kairi sat down by Sora, keeping her eyes open for Atlantica. Passing by an asteroid field, Sora and his team found themselves at Atlantica.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Ariel's been. Ya think she's doing okay?" Goofy asked. Sora nodded.

"Wait a second. That planet looks like....it's all water?! We're gonna drown down there!" Genis exclaimed. Donald winked.

"Not without my magic we won't. All right guys. Get ready for a...." Donald said before Sora interrupted.

"Wait. Bring us down there. I think that's land." Sora pointed. Donald groaned and slowly brought the ship down towards the floating land. The Gummi Ship landed inside the castle walls, but as everyone stepped out, Colette tripped on her own two feet and fell flat on her face. Genis sighed.

"Uhh...is she all right?" Sora asked.

"Don't worry. She's fine. To Colette, this is natural." Genis said "Sometimes, her little trips can make good things happen." Sora and the others glanced at one another.

"Does that mean something good is going to happen?" Kairi asked. Colette pushed herself up and found a small red crab on her shirt.

"Oopsie. I think I crushed someone." Colette said, swiping the crab off her shirt. The crab was Sebastian.

"Whoa! Sebastian!" Sora gasped. Sebastian groaned, holding his head with his big claw.

"Oh. Me poor head. This crab's getting too old to be flattened like that." Sebastian groaned. Just then, he saw Sora, Donald and Goofy staring down at him.

"A talking crab?!" Kairi gasped. Sebastian gasped.

"Oh! Sora?! Is that you boy? Ho ho! I can't believe me eyes. How've you been man?" Sebastian laughed. Sora chuckled.

"Nice to see you too Sebastian. From up here, you sure look a lot smaller." Sora chuckled. Donald and Goofy agreed too. Just then, Kairi saw a woman with long red hair approaching. It was Ariel.

"Sora? Donald! Goofy!" Ariel called. Sora looked on and waved to Ariel.

"Hey Ariel! Long time no see!" Sora called. Ariel giggled and gave Sora a quick hug, welcoming him.

"I didn't think we'd see you again." Ariel said. Sora smirked and reminded Ariel about what he, Donald and Goofy said before leaving the last time.

"Yes. I know. It's still wonderful to see you again." Ariel said. Sora also said it's been a while, looking at Ariel's new human appearance.

"So are you a human again?" Goofy asked. Ariel nodded, telling them of her new life above the sea. They suddenly heard two others approaching. The two were Prince Eric and their young daughter Melody at his side.

"Here you are Ariel. We've been looking for....you." Eric said before seeing Sora.

"Hey. I know you. You're those merpeople that helped me and Ariel before." he said. Sora looked away, blushing a bit. Donald and Goofy looked away too. Sora saw Kairi glaring at him with a giggle.

"Sora? A mermen?" Kairi asked. Sora blushed bright red.

"Uhh....it's not what you think Kairi." Sora chuckled. Ariel asked Sora who his other friends were and Sora introduced her to Kairi, Colette and Genis.

"Oh. It's nice to meet you. Eric? These are friends of mine. I hope you don't mind them visiting." Ariel said. Eric smiled.

"Not at all Ariel. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Welcome to our kingdom. Go on Melody. Say hello." Eric said, encouraging young Melody. Melody turned to the others and waved. Just then, Genis seemed to start blushing when he saw Melody.

"Wow. She's....She's kinda cute. She almost reminds me of......Presea...." Genis thought. Sora and the others glanced at Genis, waving his hand in front of Genis.

"Genis? Hey! Genis!" Sora called. Genis snapped back and glared at Sora.

"You okay? You seemed out of it for a second." Sora asked. Genis looked away, clearing his throat and whistling.

"What's HIS problem?" Donald asked. Kairi waved hello to Melody too, saying she was happy to have met her. Eric took Melody back into the castle and told Ariel he would see her later. After he and Melody left, Ariel asked Sora how his adventures last time went.

"Oh. Well, we took care of the Heartless and fixed everything. So hopefully, you won't see any here." Sora said. Ariel smiled.

"Thanks. By the way, maybe you can help me with something. A few years ago, my daughter Melody and I was attacked by Morgana, Ursula's evil sister. She threatened to take my father's trident and rule Atlantica. We were able to scare her off, but my father put this wall up to prevent Morgana from looking for us." Ariel said. Sora and the others looked back at the wall.

"That would explain why this place is closed in." Colette said.

"Well, I haven't told Melody about her connections to Atlantica, about me being King Triton's daughter or anything like that. So, would you please keep quiet about any of that to her?" Ariel asked. Sora and the others looked at each other.

"I guess we can." Sora said. Ariel sighed.

"Thank you. Oh, and we had a bit of an accident last night as well. We had a party and Melody was so embarrassed by what happened that she hasn't been talking as much." Ariel continued. Sora smiled.

"If you're asking us to try and cheer Melody up, we can do that." Sora said. Ariel sighed.

"Thank you so much Sora. Come. I'll show you around the castle." Ariel said. Sora and the others followed Ariel into the castle.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	53. Ch 53: A Seabound Escape

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 53: A Seabound Escape_**

Following Ariel into the castle, Sora and his friends were amazed by the castle's interior. Melody continued to walk by her father's side.

"Wow Ariel. You sure have a lovely home." Goofy said. Ariel chuckled.

"Thank you Goofy. I've always looked forward to the day that I could show you all this place. I'm so happy that day finally came." Ariel said. Colette looked outside, seeing the large wall.

"Are you kids hungry? You can help yourself to anything you'd like from our kitchen. You are our guests." Eric offered. Goofy and Donald's stomachs rumbled.

"I guess that's a yes. Thanks." Kairi chuckled. She could also slightly hear Sora's stomach.

"Sora? You too?" she giggled. Sora started blushing again.

"K...Kairi!" he stuttered. The others laughed, leaving Sora to only feel more foolish.

"Melody? Maybe you'd like to show the others your room?" Ariel asked. Melody sighed.

"Mom." she sighed. She figured she would and asked Genis if he would like to see.

"Sure. I'm not really all that hungry. I ate before we came here." Genis said.

"Well, I'm a bit hungry myself. We'll catch up later then Genis?" Colette asked. Genis asked Sora and he figured it was okay. Genis followed Melody into her room and looked around.

"Wow. Pretty snazzy place. I bet you're happy to have a big castle like this to live in." Genis chuckled. But all Melody did was sigh.

"Huh? Something wrong?" Genis asked. Melody glanced at him.

"No. It's nothing. It's my mother. Lately, I felt like she's keeping something from me." Melody said. Genis looked away.

"What do you mean?" Genis asked.

"She's told me that it's not safe to go out to the sea. That's why that big wall is up there. And when we had that arguement last night, she totally got angry at me." Melody said. Genis gasped.

"But from what I heard from Sora, Ariel is a very nice person. I can't imagine her getting that mad." Genis said. Melody asked Genis if he could keep a secret and he nodded. She brought Genis over to her bed and showed him something beneath the pillow. It was a golden locket and on the cover was her name, engraved into it.

"That's so cool. Where'd you get it?" Genis asked. Melody told that she found it in the water out by the wall and when her mother found out about it, she got mad. When Genis asked what was so special about it, she opened it and the two saw the projection of Atlantica before them.

"Whoa." Genis gasped.

"You see? There's something about this locket that my mom doesn't want me to know about. I just know it." Melody said. Genis asked what she was going to do. Melody looked at him.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to find out what my mom is keeping from me." Melody said. Genis gasped.

"Wait. You're.....You're not serious." Genis stuttered. Meanwhile, Sora and the others were in the kitchen with Ariel and Prince Eric. As they ate together at the table, Ariel sighed.

"Everything okay Ariel?" Sora asked.

"Oh Sora. I think I'm driving Melody away. I'm afriad that our fight last night might be pushing us apart." Ariel said. Goofy and Donald glanced at one another.

"Are you going to tell her about her mermaid heritage?" Kairi asked. Ariel sighed.

"I don't know if I should. If she knows, it might....." Ariel said. Just then, one of Eric's servants came in. He was out of breath.

"Master Eric! We've got a problem! Melody! She's gone!" he exclaimed. Eric and the others gasped.

"What?!" Ariel gasped. They rushed to Melody's room, seeing the servant was right. Not only was Melody gone, but so was Genis. Sora suddenly noticed that her window was open and a cloth rope was seen hanging out it.

"She must've ran away." Goofy said. Ariel was speechless.

"No. She....She wouldn't. I have to go after her!" Ariel stuttered. As she raced off, Sora and Kairi tailed close behind. Outside the walls of the kingdom, Melody and Genis were leaving the sea on a boat. Genis rowed it and Melody sat near the helm.

"Melody, you're making a mistake." Genis said.

"Am I Genis? If my mom wants to keep secrets from me, what's wrong with me trying to find them out?" Melody asked. Genis looked away.

"You're lucky. You've lived with your parents for longer than I have." Genis said. Melody asked why he mentioned that and Genis explained the life he lived with his sister Raine. Melody gasped.

"Yeah. So, I think I know when I think someone is doing something stupid. Come on. We should turn around before...." Genis said. But just then, the waves below them started to rock.

"Whoa. What...What the?" Melody asked. Suddenly, something lunged upward and snapped their boat in two. Melody and Genis were flung up into the air as Genis looked down. He saw a giant angler fish down below with red teeth and a ferocious roar. But on it's head was a Heartless emblem.

"Gah! A Heartless!" Genis exclaimed. He reached for his kendana but remembered it was back at the castle.

"Oh crud! We've gotta get out of here! NOW!" Genis thought. He reached for Melody and grabbed her, bringing her down safely as they landed in the sea. But the Heartless was tailing them and snapping it's jaws. He looked back and tried casting a spell.

"Aqua Blade!" Genis thought. He formed scythes with the water around him and launched them towards the Heartless. The beast roared as one took out it's glowing antenna. It suddenly came towards them as Genis was swimming Melody to the surface. But without a sound, Genis was ambushed by more Heartless. They were Screwdriver Heartless.

"Gah...can't.....can't get away. Losing....breath...." Genis thought, trying to hold his breath. He looked in his arm and saw the unconscious Melody.

"Melody....I'm sorry...." Genis thought before passing out himself. But after that, the Heartless just seemed to stop. They swam in place as someone else approached. When Genis and Melody woke up, they found themselves within an underwater cave. They were on dry land and the two were gasping for breath.

"What? We're alive? But.....But how?" Genis asked. He looked around, feeling that someone was watching. He suddenly felt a tentacle slinking onto his shoulder. He looked back and gasped, seeing the face of Morgana behind him.

"Well, look who finally woke up." Morgana said. Genis yelled and fell flat on his back. Melody gasped also.

"Don't be afraid. I don't mean any harm. It was thanks to me that you escaped those nasty creatures before." Morgana said. As she slunk to her cabinet, Genis asked who she was and Morgana introduced herself.

"Mor...Morgana? So YOU'RE Ursula's sister?" Genis asked "Sora was talking about you." Morgana raised an eyebrow.

"Who? Never heard of this "Sora" person. But, if you're asking, yes. I am the sister of Ursula, once feared as one of the most fearsome sea witches of her day." Morgana said. Genis glanced at Melody.

"Why did you save us?" Melody asked. Morgana scoffed.

"Sweetie, you think I would honestly let those monsters get their hands on you? I think not. I'm not ANYTHING like my mean older sister. But, why are YOU so far out here? You don't look like the kind that's usually around these waters." Morgana asked. Melody told her everything that happened between her and her mother Ariel. She even showed her the locket, taking it from the castle with her.

"Oh. I see. Well, may I?" she asked. Melody gave Morgana the locket and she opened it up, seeing Atlantica before her.

"Oh my. How magnificent. Do you know what this is? This is Atlantica, a place spoken only in legend. Now why would your mother not say anything about this?" Morgana asked. Melody sighed.

"I wish I knew. I hate having a mom that doesn't understand me." Melody said. Morgana handed Melody back her locket.

"Believe me dear. I know what's it like to have a mom like that. Hmm. If this locket has your name on it, have you ever thought that perhaps....this is meant to guide you to something greater?" Morgana asked. Melody asked what she meant and Morgana told her stories about the kingdom of Atlantica, spiking Melody's interests but worrying Genis.

"In fact, maybe you two kids can help me with something. If you do, I can promise that you'll get to see Atlantica and discover what you were truly meant for." Morgana said. Genis and Melody sat as Morgana lied about Triton stealing "her" trident and using it to kill her sister Ursula. She asked that if they could bring her trident back, she could grant Melody a marvelous gift.

"What's that?" she asked. Morgana chuckled.

"Why...this my dear." Morgana said. She reached into her cabinet and took out a strange bottle. She shook strange powder down onto Genis and Melody, encasing them in a spiral of light and when it faded, the two both now had mermaid tails.

"Whoa! My legs! Where'd they go?!" Genis exclaimed.

"Don't worry. All I did was give you a gift to travel the seas better....the swimming fins of a merman. I promise that if you help, I can grant you this gift for eternity." Morgana said. Melody suddenly felt quiet, looking at her locket and then at Genis.

"Melody.....don't." Genis thought. She looked at Morgana and nodded. Morgana smiled and hugged Melody, thanking her. Before they left, she gave them a map that would lead them towards Atlantica. After that, the two set off for the sea kingdom. Genis swam alongside Melody, trying his best to swim straight.

"Melody....I don't trust her. Are you sure about this?" Genis asked. Melody sighed.

"Genis....I know you're trying to help. But please, let me trust in what I think is right. If it's not, you can blaim me for all of this." Melody said. Genis looked away, giving another sigh.

"Okay. Then....count on me not leaving your side anytime soon." Genis said. As they swam off, more people soon came dropping into the sea. They were Ariel, Sebastian, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi and Colette. All were transformed by Donald's magic, changed into their underwater forms. Kairi and Colette became two young mermaid girls, both with long green fins for their legs and light blue seashells.

"Oh wow. This is...This is....whoa." Kairi stuttered, fumbling in the water. Donald floated upside down, groaning with his arms crossed.

"This is so cool. Lloyd would just LOVE it here. I know it." Colette said. Ariel complemented Donald's skills and said he could maybe match her father's powers. Just then, they all saw someone swimming their way. It was King Triton himself and by his side was Flounder.

"Ariel.....thank goodness it's you. We've heard about Melody and are here to do whatever we can to help find her." Triton said. Just then, Sora and Flounder noticed one another.

"Fl...Flounder?!" Sora stuttered. Flounder chuckled.

"Well, well....how've you been Sora? Long time no see." he chuckled.

"Wow. You REALLY let yourself go Flounder." Donald said. Flounder looked away with a grin.

"Yeah. Well, that's what happens when you become a dad." Flounder said. Suddenly, Sora and Donald's eyes seemed to bulge.

"A...d...DAD?!" Sora gasped. Flounder nodded, leaving them both speechless.

"Come. We should probably head back to my palace. We can start our search there." Triton said. Everyone agreed and followed the king close behind.

"Wait for me guys!" Kairi called, still flopping around with her fins. She went in circles before Sora caught her.

"Take it easy Kairi. Wow. You're not that well at swimming yet. Don't worry. Let me help." Sora said. Holding her hand, Sora helped Kairi swim alongside him. Kairi soon quickly got the hand of it and was swimming with no problem. As she swam by Sora, she looked at him and started to blush.

"Sora....." Kairi muttered, almost catching his attention. They continued onward towards Atlantica, unaware that Genis and Melody were also swimming that way. Along their trip, Melody and Genis met two more underwater creatures, a penguin and a walrus. They introduced themselves as Tip and Dash, two brave "adventurers" of the sea. When they told of their journey to Atlantica, they soon had the daring two traveling with them.

"All right then! To Atlantica we go!" Tip cheered.

"Oh boy. I can tell THIS is going to be a pleasant trip." Genis thought. But as they continued, they remained in the watchful eye of Morgana and her minions.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	54. Ch 54: Morgana's Graceful Fall

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 54: Morgana's Graceful Fall_**

Both sides, Sora and Melody, continued to swim their way towards Atlantica. But both were on different quests. Sora was helping Ariel find Melody while Melody was convinced by Morgana to steal her grandfather's trident with Genis following close by. By the time both sides reached Atlantica, Melody and Genis had made it first.

"Melody, really, you might wanna think about this again." Genis said. Melody sighed.

"Genis, please. Just believe me. Morgana doesn't seem like she was the bad kind of person." Melody said.

"Sora told me about Ursula once before. And if she's related to her, based off the stories Sora told me, Morgana can't be trusted." Genis said. Melody huffed.

"Fine then. I know you wanted to help, but if you can't trust Morgana like I do, then I'll go myself." Melody said, swimming away shortly after. Genis couldn't say anything else, watching as Melody left him, Tip and Dash.

"What now?" Tip asked. Genis suddenly heard someone coming their way. He looked and saw Sora's group.

"Sora? Yeah. It IS him! Sora!" Genis called. He quickly swam over towards the group, being greeted by Sora first.

"Genis! We found you!" Colette cheered. Genis figured Donald must've helped out somehow.

"Genis, where's Melody?" Ariel asked. Genis pointed towards King Triton's palace.

"She's....oh no. Sora! We have to stop Melody!" Ariel shouted. Sora nodded and Genis followed after them as they headed for the palace. Tip and Dash followed close behind.

"I only hoped Morgana has not gotten to Melody first. Because if she did....." Triton said. But Genis told Triton that Morgana had indeed met with her first and tricked her into getting the trident.

"Oh boy! We better hurry!" Goofy gasped. Kairi looked ahead, seeing a faint figure swimming into the palace. It seemed small enough to be Melody.

"There she is!" Kairi called. They hurried to swim over, but were suddenly greeted by underwater Heartless. They were Screwdriver and Aquatank Heartless.

"Heartless!" Donald squawked. Sora drew his blade and came charging. Donald and Goofy followed close behind. Genis drew his kandama, but had trouble using it due to the water.

"Oh man. If I knew my weapon couldn't work underwater, I wouldn't have bothered coming underwater." Genis groaned. Kairi also had trouble fighting, not use to fighting with fins. Inside the palace, Melody creeped her way past the guards and remained closely out of sight.

"It's got to be here somewhere." she muttered. With luck, Melody made it to King Triton's throne room and found the trident on the throne.

"Bingo!" she thought. Melody quickly swam over and was ready to grab it. But suddenly, one of the Aquatank Heartless came soaring her way and went crashing directly through the throne room, sending Melody and the trident flying in opposite directions.

"Melody! No!" Ariel cried. She quickly swam over and caught Melody in her arms. But the trident was caught by a sudden appearing Morgana. She smirked, watching Melody and Ariel tumbling away. They finally stopped when Melody realized who saved her.

"Mom? You....You're...." Melody muttered. Ariel sighed.

"Yes. It's true dear. I am a mermaid. And....that's your grandfather down there." Ariel said, pointing down to King Triton. But suddenly, they all heard Morgana laughing.

"Thank you Melody. I knew I could count on you....unlike THIS worthless little twit." she said. She swam aside to show Genis trapped by her two manta rays, Cloak and Dagger.

"Genis!" Sora shouted. Morgana laughed again.

"With it's power, I will be able to FINALLY prove how much more powerful I am than my wanna be sister!" she cackled. Melody couldn't believe it.

"Wait. But Morgana...what....I don't...." Melody cried. Suddenly, lightning bolts began firing from all around the trident and shot down towards the sea bed floor. And from beneath everyone, a large ice pillar shot up and up rose a platform, pushing everyone out of the sea and into the sky above. When they emerged, Sora's friends regained their human forms.

"And, oh yes, Melody my dear...I believe it's time you got your reward for helping. So...here you go!" Morgana exclaimed. The ice beneath her and Ariel suddenly opened up and swallowed them when they fell through. King Triton gasped.

"No! You cursed sea hag! Release them!" Triton exclaimed. Morgana laughed.

"Yeah right! This is going to be only the beginning of what I can do with this in my possession! Allow me to demonstrate! Undertow!" Morgana exclaimed. From the sea, her tiny shark partner leaped up and with one zap, she changed him back to his giant size.

"At last! The trident is mine! All mine!" she exclaimed. She then went into a hysteric laugh. But suddenly, black lightning shot down towards the water from above. It smashed parts of the ice off and sent some of the characters falling into the sea, leaving Sora's group still up on the ice with Morgana.

"What....What was that?!" Morgana gasped. Then, from the sea, the water began to bubble and waves came like crazy. And a giant monstrosity started to rise up. It appeared to be a colossal woman with pitch black eyes. It was a giant Ursula! Morgana shrieked from fright.

"The trident is.....MINE!" the monster Ursula bellowed. She reached down and grabbed Morgana, robbing her of the trident. She then dropped Morgana into the sea as the trident began to grow in size in Ursula's grip.

"Ursula! But....how is she....?!" Triton exclaimed. Sora saw a glowing blue mark on her chest, forming the shape of a Heartless emblem.

"She's....She's a Heartless!" Sora exclaimed. Ursula casted a black magic and suddenly, Morgana and her henchmen fell under a strange hypnosis. They glared at Sora's fallen off friends, Melody, Tip, Dash, Ariel, Sebastian and Triton, nearing them with sinister grins.

"Guys! We got to stop Ursula!" Sora shouted.

"But how?! She's as big as a building!" Genis exclaimed. Ursula's voice deepened and she bellowed a deep, cackling laugh. In the skies above, the faint image of Ultimecia appeared before vanishing again. Ursula roared and shattered the ice into thousands of chunks.

"We're going down!" Goofy exclaimed. Donald squawked loudly from fright and clutched onto Goofy. Colette was first to fall into the sea, reverting back to her mermaid form.

"Huh? What?" Colette asked. She suddenly saw the giant Undertow chasing after Melody and Ariel.

"Colette! Help!" Ariel cried. Colette gasped.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Colette shouted. But up above the ocean, Sora and his friends were floating in midair!

"What....What the?!" Sora gasped. They looked at Kairi, strangely radiating strange blue energy from her hands. Still thinking she was falling, Kairi shielded herself.

"Kairi! Open your eyes!" Sora called. Kairi squinted out her left eye and saw she was somehow helping everyone float.

"How is this possible?" Genis asked.

"I don't know. But, right now, we've got a sea hag to squash!" Sora shouted, calling for his Keyblade. Everyone flew towards Ursula and began to attack. Ursula roared as she tried to swat them away.

"Man! You were right! Ursula is ugly....and she's WORSE up close!" Genis shouted. Ursula roared and swat away Donald. But Goofy quickly countered by using Goofy Whirlwind directly at her face. Ursula groaned as Sora then attacked with Thundaga. Kairi tried to use Thunder and ended up nearly shocking Donald.

"Oops! Sorry Donald!" Kairi called. Back in the sea, Colette was trying hard to get Undertow to stop. She had both hands gripped tightly to the shark's tail before getting flung off. Colette groaned and whistled to Undertow.

"Hey you big bully! Leave them alone!" she cried. The shark grinned and came swimming towards Colette. But Colette suddenly tucked her head in and came swimming towards Undertow as fast as she could. She even called her angel wings to pick up speed. When both sides collided, Colette's "thick head" skull bashed Undertow and sent him flying away like a rocket. Colette rubbed her head.

"Ow! That really hurt." she groaned. Up above, Ursula was blowing black bubbles at Sora. But he outdodged them and hurled the Keyblade at her face, striking her directly in the nose.

"Okay. Let's try again. Thunder!" Kairi called. Her lightning bolt fired directly at Ursula's hand and the shock was enough to make her flinch, dropping the trident.

"Now guys! Attack!" Sora called. Genis casted Thunder Blade down on Ursula from above, paralyzing the giant witch.

"Take THIS!" Sora shouted. But just before he could attack, a giant sudden pillar of water shot up directly beneath Ursula before a giant twister engulfed her too. Ursula shrieked loudly and was soon starting to evaporate.

"What in the...?!" Kairi exclaimed. Sora looked on behind Ursula and saw a floating figure behind her. It appeared to be an elegant maiden wearing a large dark blue cloak, big white boots and long flowing dark red hair. In her hands was a Keyblade, seemingly made entirely of water.

"The....The Ancient Keyblader?" Sora asked. The woman clapped both hands together and pointed her blade towards the sky.

"O great sea! Hear my plee and banish this evil from whence it came! Drag her down to the greatest depths of darkest sea!" she shouted. A beam of light shot up from her blade and it struck down Ursula, Morgana, the two manta rays and Undertow. Soon, all five villains were being dragged inside of a glowing black vortex and when all entered it, it evaporated into smoke.

"Wow. Even I can't do that." Genis said. Kairi looked on at the Keyblader's face.

"Are...Are you the Keyblader of Atlantica?" Kairi asked. The woman nodded.

"My name is Aquaria, the Keyblader of this world. I sensed the aura from your blades and came as soon as I could. You are Sora and Kairi, correct?" Aquaria asked. Kairi and Sora nodded.

"You do not need to tell me about what has befallen the worlds. I will help you. I shall lend my power to you..." she said. Aquaria then vanished and transformed into a small ball of water. It flew towards Kairi and she caught it, resulting in a strange glowing blue light to appear inside of her pendant.

"That was almost too easy." Sora said. Donald and Goofy both agreed. But with Ursula and Morgana gone, everyone was safe to return to Prince Eric's castle. Both humans and merpeople were there to see Ariel and her daughter united again.

"Mom.....I'm so sorry. I mean...Morgana....I had no idea...." Melody said. Ariel sighed and hugged her daughter.

"It's all right Melody. I'm sorry for keeping so many secrets from you. But...I promise....no more secrets." Ariel said. Melody smiled and hugged Ariel.

"Thanks mom." she muttered. Sora's friends watched on as Triton then used his trident to eradicate the wall surrounding the kingdom.

"I see no reason to keep THAT up anymore." Triton said. Shortly, after joining them for a small feast, Sora and friends bid Ariel farewell and started to return to the Gummi Ship. But before he entered, Sora tried to get something off his mind. He asked Triton how he knew so much about the Keyblade when they first met. Triton sighed.

"It's best that....you do not worry about what your past selves have done in the past Sora. Just look forward towards your future." he said. Sora was a little shocked, but decided that was enough. He then boarded the Gummi Ship and took off with his friends. As they were just leaving, Sora saw Kairi's pendant glow and a giant keyhole appear on the surface of the sea. He pointed his Keyblade at the lock and with one shot, locked it completely before completely leaving the world's atmosphere. But in the Chaos Legion's lair, Ultimecia warped in from her actions in Atlantica.

"How did it go? Did you get to bring back that old sea cow or what?" Kefka asked.

"Indeed. I also got to see just what our friend "Sora" is capable of. But that girl....Kairi be her name. Something about her is quite peculiar and strange. Either way, we must make sure to keep tabs on them." Ultimecia said. The others nodded.

"With the knight out of the picture for a while, now is OUR time to reign as rulers of the worlds. Today marks the beginning of the Legion of Chaos' mission for world domination!" Ultimecia exclaimed.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	55. Ch 55: Of Boards and Ninjas

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 55: Of Boards and Ninjas_**

Sora and friends returned to Radiant Gardens after their adventures in Atlantica and had a day to rest up from their trip. Kairi was once again training with Merlin on magic, Riku was patrolling for Heartless with Vincent and Sora was in a spritual conversation with Ven, thanks to his ancient artifact. Ven did not appear in his full body armor, rather his casual armor.

"It's been a while since we last spoke Sora. How are things?" Ven asked.

"Things are going all right Ven. We've saved more Keybladers and we've got the knight out of the way for a while." Sora said. Ven smiled, happy to see that things were going all right. But then, a thought caused Ven to lose his smile.

"Oh yes. Sora? There is something I must tell you. It involves Roxas." Ven said. Sora asked what was wrong with Roxas.

"Well, due to the fact that Roxas and you are not the same person anymore, you cannot enter your Chaos Mode." Ven said. Sora scratched his head, asking what the "Chaos Mode" was. Ven reminded him it was the mode he went into when the giant Heartless bug nearly crushed him to death.

"What?! Without Roxas....I....I can't use that power again?" Sora asked. Ven nodded.

"The only reason that worked was because Roxas and I were spirits dwelling within you. But now that Roxas has his own heart and is no longer your Nobody, that link is broken." Ven said. Sora groaned.

"Well, there went a perfectly good power." Sora thought. But trying to put it aside, Sora then went to talk with Ven about their Keyblades transforming into modes of transport.

"Oh yes. We were talking about it before. Very well then. Allow me to explain." Ven said. Elsewhere, Yuffie and Sheena were out on the rooftop of one of the buildings. But instead of patrolling, they were looking out at the sky and eating ice cream.

"Hey Sheena. It's good to just take it easy and look up at the sun, ya know?" Yuffie asked. Sheena agreed completely.

"No Heartless or Nobodies, no crazy knight on the loose....now's the time to take it easy." Sheena sighed. She stretched her arms out and laid back on the rooftop. Yuffie then glanced away.

"So Sheena, there's been one other TINY thing I've been thinking about." Yuffie said slyly. Sheena suddenly got the same impression, glaring at Yuffie.

"Oh really? You finally ready to admit that I outrank you?" Sheena asked. But all Yuffie did was laugh.

"Yeah right. I was wondering about you admitting that to me." Yuffie said. Sheena sat up, chuckling loudly and sounding rather cocky.

"Oh! What was that?! You sound rather confident for someone who's not as skillful as me!" Sheena shouted. Yuffie huffed.

"At least I'm not as OLD as you. Besides, you don't see Zelos hitting on me just yet." Yuffie said. Sheena gasped, turning bright red with rage.

"Who are you calling old you wanna be ninja?! I'm the real shinobi around here!" Sheena shouted. Soon, Sheena and Yuffie were glaring directly at each other and snarling. Sparks were flying inbetween their eyes.

"Fine. You wanna settle this? I've got something. Sora apparently can never have his Keyblade taken from him. So, whoever can disarm Sora first....can really say they're the better one." Yuffie said. Sheena chuckled.

"You're on. Prepare to cry your eyes out sweetie. Because I am NOT losing!" Sheena shouted. Suddenly, Sheena and Yuffie hear someone telling them to watch out. They looked ahead and yelped, ducking down as Sora was flying by on a strange hover board.

"What was that?!" Sheena gasped.

"Sora?!" Yuffie asked. Sora was trying to learn how to ride Ven's Keyblade. With Ven's help, he was able to access the Keyblade's hidden form and he was almost falling off it.

"Remember Sora. Maintain your balance." Ven's voice said. Sora groaned.

"Easy for you to say. You aren't the one riding this thing!" Sora shouted. He continued to fly before he finally lost control and crashed through the roof of the committee building. Inside, Cid and Ludwig were nearly smushed under the rubble.

"Sora! Come on! That's the twelth time that you've almost hurt somebody....mainly yourself." Cid said. Sora groaned and rubbed his head. Cid looked up at the roof, seeing all the past times Sora had crashed.

"I'm real sorry Cid. Ven's been teaching me and everything. I guess it's not the best idea to have a spirit coaching you on flying." Sora said. Ludwig chuckled.

"Well, lucky for you, nobody was hurt. But I tell ya, that's some of the most fantastical flying I've ever seen on this thingamawhatchit." Ludwig said. Sora chuckled.

"Thanks Ludwig." Sora said, quickly darting outside again. He quickly rushed back out again as Sheena and Yuffie looked on. They gave each other a glare.

"Good luck trying to snatch the Keyblade off him." Sheena said. Yuffie huffed.

"Just make sure you're ready to taste defeat." Yuffie said. Sora hopped back on the board and took off on it again. His take off was successful and he was soon back in the sky again. Below him, as he flew towards the town square, Yuffie tailed after him with all her strength.

"I can track anything. So the second Sora flies low enough...I leap up and snag the Keyblade." she thought. She poised herself, getting ready to pounce as Sora flew in.

"All right. I gotcha!" Yuffie shouted, leaping at Sora from the rooftops. But Sora suddenly turned and Yuffie ended up dive bombing onto a passing Pete down below. It wasn't until after she landed that she realized who she fell on.

"Hey! What's da big idea?!" Pete muffled. Yuffie gasped.

"Oopsie! Sorry Pete!" Yuffie called, sliding off Pete's back. Still on the rooftops, Sheena snickered.

"Nice stage dive there Yuffie. Now watch the REAL master of surprise attacks." Sheena said. She started to dash towards a tall building and started to run up the wall as high as she could. With Sora in her sights, she made a leap for Sora.

"Here I come!" she shouted. But Sheena did not jump far enough and started to fall down towards the road. But luckily, she landed on a trampoline that Scrooge set up for the children.

"Wow! Talk about a lucky break." Sheena said, before realizing she was springing towards an open pit in the ground.

"Huh?! Oh man. You gotta be kidding me!" Sheena shouted as she fell in feet first and crashed. As she groaned, she could hear Yuffie laughing loudly.

"Ha! That's all you've got grandma?!" Yuffie asked. Sheena growled.

"This isn't over yet! Besides, you haven't gotten Sora yet either." Sheena said. But before continuing, Yuffie asked Sheena for a little help, which she quickly pulled her out. For most of the afternoon, Sheena and Yuffie tried all of their tricks to get at Sora. But they all ended in failure. Whether it was tripping on their own two feet, running into walls, falling down open holes or landing on one of their friends, they did it all but catch Sora's Keyblade.

"Geesh. This is....REALLY starting to hurt now." Sheena groaned, rubbing her back. Yuffie cracked her neck.

"Yeah. Wanna....Wanna just call this a draw?" Yuffie asked. Sheena figured that was the best thing to do, since they almost felt like they were gonna break something soon. Just then, Presea passed by.

"Hello Sheena, Yuffie." Presea said. They groaned and waved to Presea. But Sheena suddenly noticed something in Presea's hand.

"Hey Presea. What's that?" Sheena asked. Presea asked if she meant the bottle and Sheena nodded.

"Oh. This is supposed to be a super strong healing potion that Merlin was working on. He wanted me to find someone to test it on. But no one in the town seems achy enough to try it." Presea said. The two girls suddenly had an idea and asked Presea if they could test it. Presea just shrugged and let them try it. Almost as if in a mere second, Yuffie and Sheena were feeling well again.

"Hey! I feel great!" Yuffie shouted.

"Yeah! Me too!" Sheena exclaimed. Presea smiled.

"I should tell Merlin this potion is a success. Thank you so much for helping." Presea said. But just as she turned to thank them, Sheena and Yuffie were gone.

"Where...Where'd they go?" Presea thought. They had found Sora, on the ground this time, and figured now would be a good chance to settle their problem. They both approached Sora.

"Hey Sora? Could we ask you for one teeny, TINY favor?" Sheena asked. Sora turned to them and figured it was all right.

"Well, you see, we thought you should get some practice for when you have to fight two enemies at once. So, how's about a little sparring match?" Yuffie asked. Sora smirked.

"Not a bad idea. All right then. If you two are my opponents, this should be fun." Sora said. The two girls looked at one another and chuckled.

"Oh yeah. This is going to be fun all right." they both thought. Sora drew his Keyblade and called for Ven's blade, holding both blades in his hands.

"Whenever you two are ready." Sora said. From afar, Kairi passed by with Donald and Goofy.

"Huh? What's Sora doing?" Kairi asked. Donald just shrugged.

"I guess they must be training." Goofy said. Yuffie drew her shuriken and Sheena held her cards.

"Let's go!" Sheena called. She and Yuffie both charged for Sora and begun to attack, forcing Sora to shield himself. Yuffie then leaped back and threw her shuriken towards Sora. But he was quick to deflect it, roll away and then throw the blade towards Yuffie. It nicked her hand and came back to Sora, just as Sheena was leaping at him from behind.

"Take this! Summon Arte! Earth!" Sheena called. Sora suddenly looked down and a giant mole came lunging up for him.

"It's Gnome time!" the mole yelled. Sora quickly dodged the mole's appearance and took his stance on the ground. Yuffie gasped.

"Hey! No fair!" Yuffie shouted. Sheena spotted Yuffie and stuck her tongue out, ticking off Yuffie.

"Oh! That's it! You're gonna get it now!" Yuffie shouted. Ignoring Sora, Yuffie charged towards and leaped up at Sheena, ready to strike. She hopped off Gnome's head, causing him to poof away, and attacked.

"What the?!" Sheena shouted. Yuffie yelled and thrusted her shuriken at Sheena, clashing with her cards.

"Hey! What's the big deal?! We're supposed to be going after Sora! Remember?!" Sheena growled.

"Well you didn't say you were going to use summon spirits! That's cheating!" Yuffie shouted. Sheena growled.

"Well, we didn't agree on that. So, deal with it!" Sheena shouted. Yuffie groaned. They both landed down and turned towards Sora.

"You're mine Sora!" Yuffie shouted. She dashed towards Sora, with Sheena tailing close behind. But just as they both attacked, Sora drew his blades and quickly disarmed both of them with one swing each. Their weapons hit the ground behind the girls, leaving them speechless.

"N...No way." Yuffie stuttered.

"We....We just got served." Sheena muttered. Sora chuckled and withdrew Ven's blade.

"Is that it? Come on. That wasn't a real challenge." Sora said. Kairi, Donald and Goofy clapped for Sora.

"Great job Sora!" Kairi called. Donald started to cheer loudly.

"I knew you could do it Sora!" Goofy called. As Sora waved, both girls looked at one another.

"Well, THAT ended badly." Sheena said. Yuffie sighed.

"Yeah. We should be lucky this wasn't a real fight. Otherwise, we'd be dead right now." Yuffie said. She then extended her hand.

"So, wanna call a truce? We need to work on our teamwork." Yuffie said. Sheena looked down at Yuffie's hand and smiled, giving a firm shake.

"All right. And next time, we'll REALLY leave Sora in the dust." Sheena said. Both girls then started to laugh.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	56. Ch 56: Old Friends from the Pride Lands

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 56: Old Friends from the Pride Lands_**

In Radiant Gardens, Ansem took a stroll with Riku and Xion, looking at everyone's happy faces down below.

"Everyone sure seems at peace today." Xion said. Ansem nodded.

"How I've missed this. Seeing everyone so happy and carefree. I owe Leon and the others a great debt." Ansem said. Riku smirked. But then, he thought he noticed a Heartless. But it was just a shadow.

"Hey. Do you think what you did to the knight will really hold him back?" Riku asked. Ansem looked away.

"I doubt it. It was meant to temporarily subdue his powers. But, I doubt a man as dark as him could really be down for good." Ansem said "While that is said, we should focus on our other problems. I'm afraid the Legion of Chaos is starting to move." Xion asked who the league was again.

"Don't you remember? They're a group of some of the worst villains together for total world destruction. At least, that's what Leon has told me." Riku said. Ansem nodded.

"Yes. With the knight incapacitated, I'm afraid they are taking now as their moment to begin to attack." Ansem said. He stopped and looked down at the people.

"I only pray that you and Sora are able to stop them before they dare lay a hand on our world." Ansem said. Riku nodded, assuring that everyone on Sora's team would make sure of that as well. Meanwhile, at the team base, Sora was just having breakfast with Genis.

"Wow Kronk. I've got to say. This is the best food I've ever eaten yet." Sora said. Kronk chuckled.

"Now come on Sora. You say that EVERY time you eat my food." Kronk said. Genis chuckled.

"But it's so good! Even Raine couldn't match it!" Genis exclaimed. But just then, Genis heard the sound of a ruler striking the wall. He looked and saw Raine, glaring at him angrily. Genis gasped, quickly gulping what was in his mouth.

"R...R...Raine..." Genis stuttered.

"What were you saying about me Genis?" Raine asked. Genis' face suddenly turned pale.

"Uhhh...n....nothing Raine. I...I was talking about ANOTHER girl named Raine! Seriously! There....There's another girl in this town with your name! Strange, huh?" Genis asked. But Raine wasn't buying it for one minute.

"Sora? Back me up....PLEASE." Genis whined softly. Sora looked over at Raine.

"Come on Raine. Genis is your little brother. He was just stating the obvious." Sora said. Genis gasped.

"That's NOT what I meant!" Genis snarled, gritting his teeth. Raine huffed.

"Well, I just find it rather offensive. Even if I am his sister, he has no reason to bad mouth the things I'm not especially good at." Raine said. Sora leaned over and grabbed Genis, giving him a noogie to the head.

"Fine. Then let ME straighten him out. I'll make sure I get the answer through to him." Sora said. Raine thought for a moment, nodded and then walked off. After she left, Sora released Genis and he sighed.

"Thanks Sora. I really owe you my life." Genis whispered. Sora smiled.

"Hey. It's what I do." Sora said. Just then, Sora heard Yuffie step in.

"Hmm? Yuffie? What's up?" Sora asked.

"Leon and Cid got another assignment for ya. So you better get going." Yuffie said. Sora groaned, clutching his head.

"Geesh. And here I thought we could have a longer vacation with the knight out of our hair for a while." Sora said. But not ignoring Cid's call, he went over to the committee base with Donald, Goofy, Kairi, Riku, Regal and Presea.

"Ah. There ya are Sora. Remember when Leon told you about the Legion of Chaos? Well, looks like they finally started to show themselves. And we've got a lock on one of them." Cid said. Sora asked where and Cid brought up the map, showing the Pride Lands world before them.

"Hey! That's Simba's world!" Donald exclaimed.

"You're right! Oh man! I wonder how he's been!" Sora chuckled. Kairi figured Simba must've been someone Sora met before and chuckled, amazed to see him so energetic.

"Well, you all better get going then." Cid said. Sora nodded and led his group aboard the Gummi Ship. With everyone aboard, it took off and headed for Simba's world. Meanwhile, in the Pride Lands, a sinister lioness was seen with others, all around a dark furred lion who beared the similarity to Scar.

"Yes. After all these months of preparing, he is complete." the lioness hissed. The lion's name was Kovu, the son of the evil Scar. And the lioness at his side was his mother, Zira.

"What is your mission?" Zira asked.

"To avenge Scar and kill Simba." Kuvo said.

"Excellent. And....what will STOP you?" Zira asked. Kuvo glared his eyes.

"Nothing." Kovu said. Zira laughed.

"Perfect. Go my son. Your destiny is beckoning, you have come far and now....the time to finish Simba has come!" Zira exclaimed. She and the other lioness gave off loud roars and so did Kovu. But as Zira and Kovu were ready to attack, Sora's ship landed outside the Pride Lands and when they exited, Sora and friends were changed by the world magic. They all stepped out as their animal forms. Sora, Kairi, Riku, Regal and Presea became full grown lions and lioness' while Donald became his bird and Goofy was a turtle.

"Whoa. This...This is new." Riku said.

"Wow. Look at me. I'm....I'm so cute and furry." Kairi said. Sora looked down at his powerful legs, figuring his training and time away must've aged him.

"Where are we anyway?" Regal asked.

"Oh. I should've told you guys. The people in this world are all animals, so we have to be them too." Sora said. They then got a good look around them, seeing the Pride Lands up ahead.

"Come on. Let's go see how the king is." Donald said. Sora nodded and led his friends towards Pride Rock. Upon arrival, they saw a young lioness walking down the steps from the rock.

"Hey Sora....who's she?" Kairi asked. Sora shrugged.

"I don't know. But....maybe Nala?" Sora said. Sora approached the lioness.

"Hey Nala. How have you been?" Sora asked. The lioness raised an eyebrow.

"Nala? No. That's my mom's name." she said. Sora and Donald suddenly gasped.

"Wait. Your....MOM?!" Sora asked. The lioness nodded. Just behind them, Sora saw Simba and the real Nala come down.

"Huh? Sora! Donald! Goofy! Oh wow! It's great to see you again!" Simba laughed. He rushed over and greeted Sora, amazed by his growth.

"Hey Simba! What's happening? How have things been, your Majesty?" Sora asked. Simba chuckled, but they suddenly noticed Regal trying to bow to Simba.

"Uhhh...Regal? What are you doing?" Presea asked.

"I am merely showing my proper greeting to a person of royal heritage." Regal said. Sora and Simba both smirked a bit.

"I see you must've already met my daughter, Kiala. Kiala? These are my friends that I told you about. They helped me, your mom and the others save these lands from Scar." Simba said. Kiala approached Sora and looked at him, chuckling a bit.

"Wow. Someone sure is a cutie." Kiala said. She then nuzzled her head against Sora, causing Kairi to blush and slightly growl, catching Riku's ear.

"Kairi? Did you just GROWL?" Riku asked, amused by this. Kairi scoffed.

"Me? Growl? No...No way." Kairi said. But one look at Kiala turning away and winking at Sora made Kairi more ticked.

"Calm down Kairi. I'm sure she's just kidding." Presea said. After everyone got to know one another, Sora and the others took a peaceful rest with Simba at Pride Rock as Kiala was given the chance to hunt alone. Sora got to learn what happened after they last saw him.

"It looks like you've done pretty good for yourself Simba." Sora said.

"You haven't been pestered none by Scar's ghost at all, have you?" Goofy asked. Simba shook his head.

"No. I haven't seen him since you were last here. So, I doubt it'll be coming back." Simba said. Kairi, Regal and Presea looked out at the wide stretch of land ahead of the rocks.

"Amazing. Would you look at this view?" Regal asked.

"I bet you could see all of the Pride Lands from here." Presea said. Kairi nodded.

"To think. Sora is a dear friend to a great ruler. Who would've thought?" Riku thought, glaring at Sora and Simba. Just then, they all heard two bellowing yells, coming towards them. They saw a meerkat riding a warthog. It was Timon and Pumbaa.

"Timon! Pumbaa! What is it? What's going on?!" Simba asked. Timon and Pumbaa paused for a moment to catch their breath.

"Simba! Fire....grasslands....Kiala....!" Timon panted. Just then, Pumbaa saw Sora's face.

"Hey! Hey Timon! Look!" Pumbaa exclaimed. Timon took one look at Sora, gasped and rubbed his eyes, looking again.

"Hey! Sora! How've you been kiddo?!" Timon laughed. Sora chuckled.

"Timon! Pumbaa! Nice to see you!" Sora chuckled. Soon, Sora seemed to be getting Timon and Pumbaa in a conversation, slowly losing their reason for coming.

"Uhh...guys? Fire in the grasslands?" Nala asked. Timon stuttered.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Right! Simba! You've gotta get to the grasslands! Fire everywhere! Kiala's down there, trapped!" Timon exclaimed. Simba gasped.

"Oh no! Kiala!" Simba said. He suddenly made a break for the grasslands, being followed by Sora and the others. Meanwhile, down in the grass, Kiala was squaring off with a Living Bone Heartless with a Shaman on it's back. As the fire around her burned, Kovu was watching from a cliff.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	57. Ch 57: The Surprise Sneak Attack

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 57: The Surprise Sneak Attack!_**

Sora and Simba continued to charge towards the burning grass, seeing the smoke from afar. The two lions led the charge as everyone tailed after them from behind. Presea looked up at the burning smoke.

"I hope we're not too late." Presea thought. But as they were nearing the grasslands, Heartless suddenly appeared. They all were Shaman Heartless.

"Heartless?! Oh man!" Sora groaned. But without hesitation, Riku lunged ahead and slashed the Heartless away.

"Sora! You and the others get moving! I'll handle these!" Riku called. Sora nodded and his group went on ahead, leaving Riku and Presea to fight the Heartless. They charged through the smoke, avoiding other fleeing animals. But when they finally found Kiara, she was being dragged away by her neck by Kovu, unconscious on the ground.

"Kiara!" Simba exclaimed. But before they could get to her, Living Bone Heartless suddenly arrived and stared down Sora.

"Out of our way!" Sora shouted. The Heartless roared and came charging, but the ones to greet them was Sora and Simba. They were able to claw the Heartless and send them skidding back.

"Donald! Goofy! Kairi! Go after Kiara!" Sora cried. They nodded and hurried after Kovu. Regal stayed behind to fight with Sora. But due to his new transformation, he didn't know the first thing about fighting as a lion.

"Regal! You all right?" Sora called. Regal groaned, fumbling over his feet.

"I could use a little assistance Sora. How do you FIGHT like this?" Regal asked, mumbling a bit. Sora hurried to Regal and slashed down the Living Bone in front of him. Meanwhile, Kovu had brought Kiara across to a safe field of grass. But just as he turned around, he was greeted by Kairi, Donald and Goofy.

"Not so fast!" Donald squawked.

"What do you think you're doing? Leave her alone!" Kairi shouted. Kovu growled slightly and seemed poised to pounce. And just like that, Kairi froze up from fright. Goofy saw Kairi's fear and quickly stepped in front. But before Kovu could strike, Kiara started to come to.

"Hmm? Wh....What? Where am I?" Kiara asked. She looked around and saw Kovu glaring at Kairi.

"Kairi? Is...Is that you?" Kiara asked "And...." She took a glance at Kovu, somehow seeming to recognize him.

"Kovu?" Kiara asked. Kovu looked back at her and lowered his guard.

"You all right? Hmph. I guess even lioness have their faults now and then." Kovu smirked. Kiara groaned.

"What does that mean? I had them right where I wanted them." Kiara said. Kairi, Donald and Goofy watched in confusion as Kovu and Kiara seemed to know each other. Just then, Simba, Sora and the others came darting over.

"Kiara!" Simba yelled. Kiara gasped.

"Dad!" Kiara cried. But one look at Kovu caused Simba to grow protective and growl at him. Sora looked at Kovu's face.

"Hey guys. Does he remind you of anyone?" Sora whispered.

"Yeah. He looks kind of like Scar. You think he's his son or something?" Goofy whispered. Donald figured that must've been the case. As Simba growled at Kovu, Regal asked Kiara how she was. Kiara was fine, saying that Kovu saved her.

"What? YOU saved my daughter?" Simba asked "But why....?" He was cut off by Kovu looking away.

"I did it because I felt like I should have. You know what would've happen if she stayed? The smoke surely would've sufficated her." Kovu said. Simba looked at Kiara and then at Kovu, sighing afterwards.

"Well, thanks a lot for helping. I'm Sora." Sora said, introducing himself. Kairi and the others then followed and Kovu nodded.

"Thank you Kovu. I don't care if you're an outsider or not. You're a hero, you know that?" Kiara asked. Kovu smiled.

"So, what are we gonna do with him?" Presea asked. Kovu looked down at Presea, saying he didn't have anywhere to go. Simba, still on the defensive side, stared on at him.

"Dad? Can Kovu please stay with us? He risked himself to save me....even with those monsters earlier." Kiara said. Simba sighed.

"Fine. Come. You can rest with us at Pride Rock." Simba said. Kovu thanked Simba and followed everyone back. But on the way, Zira and her two kids were watching from the shadows, each giving a sinister smirk.

"Well, I see YOUR plan is going along well." a voice said. Zira turned around and saw a lion wearing golden armor. It was the lion form of Emperor Mateus, a member of the Legion of Chaos.

"And where have YOU been? If you were here sooner, we'd probably have Simba dead by now!" Zira growled. The Emperor chuckled.

"Sorry. I had some...other things to attend to. But now I'm here and ready to help. So, how are things in getting to Simba's strong heart?" Mateus asked. Zira groaned and told him of their plan, using Kovu to get close to Simba so they could strike. All he did was chuckle.

"Yes. I'd love to see THAT play out in your favor." Mateus said. Zira growled softly.

"You'll see. After all I put Kovu through, he'll kill Simba when he gets the chance." Zira said. But Zira did not count on her efforts falling apart before her. For a while, Kovu was constantly watched by Vitani. And what she was seeing was Kovu getting closer to Simba, but he seemed to be enjoying himself with Sora and the others. Zira came by once to see it for herself.

"No. No! What is he doing?! That...That is REAL emotion! He's actually having fun?!" Kira growled. Suddenly, she saw Mateus appear behind her, smirking and laughing.

"See? I told you it wouldn't work. No matter how much you force on him, it's not enough to bring Kovu's heart anywhere near as drenched in darkness as yours." Mateus chuckled. Zira snarled, turning away.

"Hmph. Allow me." Mateus said. He gave a wink and suddenly, Heartless surrounded him and Zira.

"Go my Heartless. Attack Pride Rock and blaim it on Kovu." Mateus ordered. The Heartless glared at him before charging towards Pride Rock. On the rock already was Timon and Pumbaa, suddenly seeing the approaching Heartless.

"Gah! Simba! M..M..M..Monsters!" Timon screamed. Simba and Sora came charging out, seeing the Heartless coming their way. And leading them seemed to be Nuka, bearing similar traits of a Heartless. Kovu hurried out and saw Nuka's face.

"Nuka?!" Kovu thought. Nuka laughed excitedly as he led the Heartless up onto the stone ledge.

"Hey Kovu! How've ya been ya little termite?! If you wanna know why we're here....uh....we're here to help ya KILL Simba! Yeah! We got tired of waiting!" Nuka laughed. Simba gasped and turned to Kovu, growling loudly.

"I KNEW it! You were using Kiara to get closer to me!" Simba exclaimed. Kovu stuttered, shaking his head.

"No! Simba! It's...It's not what you think! I didn't want any part of it!" Kovu shouted. Sora summoned his Keyblade and faced Nuka and his gang of Neo Shadow Heartless.

"Simba! I don't buy this guy. I can see it and Kovu is NOT here to kill you. But allow US to get rid of this guy for you." Sora said, being joined by his friends. Nuka cackled.

"This is for you mom! I'm finally gonna get rid of Simba once and for all!" Nuka laughed. He roared and lunged for Sora, being tackled by Regal. The two lions skidded across the ground for a while.

"No! Your fight is with me! I'll be your opponent!" Regal shouted. The Heartless came towards Sora's group and Sora charged into the fray with Donald and Goofy. Kairi and Riku guarded the entrance to Simba's chamber as Presea helped Sora. Simba joined Sora also, clawing at the approaching Heartless. Kovu could only watch.

"No way. Is....Is that really you Nuka? And...what ARE these?" Kovu thought. Sora struck down a Neoshadow as Goofy spun around in his shell, sending more flying up in the air. Simba roared and clawed every nearby Heartless. But during the fight, Simba was struck hard in the side as Heartless approached him.

"No! Simba!" Kovu shouted. He charged to Simba and tackled into the Neoshadow. Kiara and Nala watched from inside the cavern. Down below, Zira gasped when she saw her son fighting Nuka.

"What? Wha...What is Nuka doing here?!" Zira asked. Mateus smirked.

"Oh. I should have mentioned. I "borrowed" your son in order to test a few things. But don't worry. With the way he is now, Simba and his friends don't stand a chance." Mateus said. Up on the ledge, Regal kicked Nuka rapidly in the face with his hind legs, forcing him towards the edge.

"You should know that I have learned how to fight in this form. You will NOT harm my friends!" Regal shouted. Nuka growled.

"Says you!" he shouted. He then lunged for Regal but missed, getting kicked in the face again. Presea chomped on a Neoshadow by the antenna and swung it around, sending other Heartless it struck flying off the cliff. Kovu stood over Simba, covering him from any Neoshadow attacks.

"Kovu!" Kiara exclaimed.

"Don't worry! Your dad is fine!" Kovu groaned, continuing to take hits from the Heartless. Kairi dashed over to help Kovu, but Nuka broke away from Regal and came towards Simba, seeing Kairi too.

"Out of the way toots!" Nuka shouted, preparing to attack. But suddenly, Sora saw Nuka attacking Kairi and gasped.

"Kairi! No! Look out!" Sora shouted. He quickly rushed over towards Nuka and, with one swift swing, he struck him across the chest. The strike sent Nuka flying off the edge of Pride Rock.

"Mom! I did it for you mom! I know we can do it! Down with Simba!" Nuka exclaimed as he faded away into black ashes. His heart was then sent floating away, along with the Neoshadows fading away. Zira snarled and turned to Mateus.

"You! Look at what you did to my son! You'll PAY for this!" Zira growled. She charged towards him and prepared to attack. But, without budging an inch, Mateus used some power to freeze Zira in midair.

"What?! What is....this?! I can't move!" Zira groaned. Mateus chuckled.

"All apart of our agreement my dear Zira. I can see it. Your rage right now, all this hatred you are feeling right now...it's JUST what we need to revive Scar. Use this hatred, let it grow until the day comes when you can unleash it all on Simba and the Keybearer!" Mateus shouted. Zira groaned, looking back at Pride Rock.

"Yes. Yes.....I see. Nuka's sacrifice won't be in vain." Zira sneered, narrowing her eyes as Mateus freed her. With the fight over, Simba was soon staring down Kovu, sitting perfectly still. Kovu related everything he knew about Zira's plan to him, explaining why he originally came here.

"See Simba? I TOLD you Kovu wasn't bad. Now we've just gotta worry about Zira and the Heartless. But....what are we gonna do?" Sora asked. Simba sighed.

"I...I don't know. Lately, the Outsiders have caused me nothing but concern. But....after seeing what I saw today, I can only think of one thing to do now. We MUST strike back at Zira before she can strike back at us." Simba said. Riku nodded.

"So, I'm taking it that we're gonna be going to war against Zira and her little lion pals?" Timon asked. Simba nodded.

"It's the only chance we have Timon. I'm not about to let them hurt anyone in my family." Simba said. But Kiara asked if, surely, there had to be another way around this. Simba sighed.

"I'm sorry Kiara. But right now....there is NO other way." Simba said. Kovu and Kiara gasped.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**


	58. Ch 58: Fall of the Great Fool

**_Kingdom Hearts III: The Heart's Greatest Weapon_**

**_Chapter 58: Fall of the Great Fool_**

Back in the land of the Outsiders, Zira was giving her fellow lions a speech. She told of Kovu's betrayal and the fall of Nuka.

"Simba and those of the Pride Lands have ROBBED me of my only sons! And now.....I call out for your claws and fangs to take part in our final battle!" Zira exclaimed "Together, we will DESTROY everyone in Simba's family!" The other lions growled.

"Tonight is Simba's LAST day of king! Come! To the Pride Lands!" Zira exclaimed. All the lions roared and followed Zira and Vitani towards the main lands. Vitani looked onward, flashing her fangs.

"I can't wait. They'll PAY for what happened to Nuka!" Vitani thought. Zira looked back at her army and snickered to herself, soon growing the same face as Scar. Back in the Pride Lands, Simba and the lions of his pride had left to take on Zira alone. Sora stayed behind with Kovu and Kiara.

"Gawrsh. There's gonna be a war!" Goofy gasped.

"Surely there has to be SOMETHING we can do!" Regal groaned. Sora wished he knew what to say since he tried talking to Simba earlier but it seemed as if Simba was ignoring him.

"If we don't find a way to stop this, the Pride Lands will surely be drenched by the smell of war and blood." Zazu said. Timon and Pumbaa began worrying, fear Zira would kill Simba.

"Simba's your king. He won't go down that easily." Presea said. Kairi sighed.

"This....This is just madness. Kiara! Kovu! You two HAVE to stop this! I....I don't want to see anymore people getting killed in a furious battle." Kairi said. Sora and Riku turned to Kairi.

"Huh? Kairi? What do you mean?" Riku asked. Kairi groaned, starting to feel a headache.

"I....I don't know. That just....That just came from nowhere. Wait. What....What is this?" Kairi said. She soon was groaning, collapsing in her place. Sora hurried to her side.

"Kairi! Kairi! Can you hear me?!" Sora called. He suddenly saw Kairi's paw resting on his, wanting him to stay at her side. In her mind, Kairi was still seeing the same nightmare that she saw in Notre Dame, the giant monstrosity tearing apart the city. Many soldiers charged towards it and attacked, but with one roar, the monster was absorbing the soldiers.

"No! NO!" Young Kairi screamed. The monster glared down at Kairi.

"Kairi! Run!" a voice called. But she stood there terrified as the giant monster turned her way.

"Princess Kairi! Your heart....is MINE!" the monster roared. It suddenly leaned back and fired a black wave of darkness from his mouth at her, forcing Kairi back to reality. She screamed and clutched Sora.

"Kairi! What happened? You okay?!" Sora asked. Kairi's eyes filled with tears and she nuzzled against Sora.

"Sora....what is wrong with me? What is going on?!" she cried. Sora looked down at Kairi and wished that he knew, only nuzzling her gently as she continued to cry. Kiara looked out at the empty lands around her.

"Kovu! We have to stop our parents! My dad once told me something, something I understand now. He told me that "we are one" when I was a cub. And....I'm starting to understand what he meant." Kiara said. Sora looked on at Kiara.

"But Kiara, are you sure Simba will listen?" Donald asked. Kiara nodded.

"Simba is my father. If we can just get him and Zira to listen to reason, we might be able to stop this war before it begins." Kiara said. Kovu nodded.

"Then come. Let us hurry!" Regal shouted. As the others went on, Sora asked Kairi if she wanted to come or not. Fearing what she just saw, she asked to stay behind. Riku told Sora he would protect Kairi.

"Thanks Riku. Don't worry Kairi. I'll be back." Sora said. He hurried after his friends as they left the Pride Lands. Kovu showed them the way towards the border line between their two lands. But what they saw ahead was not a good sign. The war had already begun and Simba was in a heated fight with Zira.

"We're too late!" Donald squawked.

"No we're NOT Donald! Come on!" Sora shouted. He charged towards Simba, dashing past the other lions.

"Simba! Hey Simba!" Sora called. But Simba would not answer. Sora tried again, accidentally getting swat in the face by Simba's swinging claw. He fell to his side.

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed. Sora got back up and tried again. But he was constantly either hit away or shoved by the other lions.

"Why....Why won't you listen to me?! Simba!" Sora called. He suddenly saw Simba's eyes and the eyes of everyone else. They were glowing pitch black. Sora looked up and saw the Emperor, in full human form. He chuckled and sneered.

"That fool Zira. She has NO idea that thanks to this war, I'm using the darkness in their hearts to make them enter an endless fight! With both Simba and Zira gone, this world will be ripe for destroying." Mateus said. Sora growled and hurried over to Simba. Knowing the problem, he tried to call out to Simba deep inside. But Simba was unable to listen and, again, knocked Sora away. But as he did, Kiara and Kovu charged out to the battlefield. With their appearances, Zira and Simba finally stopped.

"Father! Listen to me! We don't have to fight! Don't do this!" Kiara shouted. Zira glared at Kovu, snarling.

"Out of my WAY you traitor!" Zira growled. But Kovu stood his ground.

"No mother! It's time YOU listened to someone other than yourself!" Kovu shouted. Zira snarled and growled.

"Remember what you told me when I was a cub? In the Pride Lands, we are one. Just look around you. What's to say that we can't live in peace with these other lions? We're all together now. Please, open your eyes." Kiara said. But behind her, Zira snarled.

"We are ONE?! You want us to live together after what this BRUTE did to Scar?! Never! You....You'll NEVER get me to side with you! Long live Scar! Long live King Scar!" Zira roared. At that moment, the Emperor felt a mighty spike of darkness in Zira's heart and a severe drop in Simba's heart.

"This is getting interesting. Very well Zira. You want your precious Scar back?! Well, thanks to your dark energy, here he IS!" the Emperor shouted. He suddenly turned pitch black and fired down below, causing a small quake behind Zira and the other lions. When they turned around, they saw a dark brown paw walk out from the dark beam. And what followed it was the evil Scar himself.

"It....It's Scar!" Sora gasped. Simba's eyes returned to normal, free of the Emperor's control. But suddenly, a giant bubble engulfed most of the lions on the battlefield. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Regal, Presea and Simba found themselves dragged into the bubble. And before them was the Emperor, Zira and Scar. Because of the magic, Sora and friends regained their human forms.

"What....What's going on?" Presea asked. Regal groaned.

"No time to ponder. Here they come!" Regal called. Sora drew his Keyblade and faced the Emperor. He chuckled and waved his hand.

"Know thy fate Keybearer! I am Emperor Mateus! One of the Legion of Chaos members! And, as of this day, your fate is sealed! With my lions at my side, you'll be dead within the hour!" Mateus laughed. Sora huffed.

"Yeah right! Just try it!" Sora shouted. Mateus chuckled as his own armor began to change. He transformed, wearing a black and orange armor with a long purple cape. He had transformed into the Dark Emperor. Sora's team charged forth as Simba tussled with the revived Scar.

"How long I have waited Simba! Now since you sent me plummeting into the great darkness, I'll see to it that YOU are dragged there with me!" Scar shouted. Simba growled.

"Not going to happen Scar! I'll NEVER lose to you!" Simba shouted. Sora swung his blade at the Dark Emperor, striking him in the face.

"Feel true power!" the Emperor shouted. He suddenly began raining dark balls down from above. Their impact was devastating the field and sending Sora and the others flying. But suddenly, Presea caught one in her hands.

"What?!" the Emperor gasped.

"Here! Catch!" Presea called. She threw it back at him and the blast hit home, inflicting heavy damage. Regal was busy trying to fight Zira with the lioness trying to claw him.

"Zira! Listen to me! You know not of what you are doing! Stop now before I am forced to subdue you!" Regal shouted. But Zira snarled and clawed Regal's leg, tearing the leg on his pants.

"I'll never forgive Simba for killing Scar! Down with Simba! Let Scar reclaim his rightful place on the throne!" Zira shouted. But Regal suddenly struck her in the face with a swift kick.

"You're being used Zira! Accept forgiveness from Simba! I know what pain you must feel! I once killed my own love with my bear hands and she was the sister of my friend Presea! But....Presea was able to forgive me and we have become near and dear friends! You still have a chance!" Regal shouted. Zira groaned and rattled her head, but Zira lunged for Regal and knocked him down.

"Ha! You think I'm a pushover?! I don't care about Simba anymore! All I want to see is his home world destroyed!" Zira shouted. Meanwhile, Scar and Simba were in a heated fight, rolling around the ground. Simba rose up from under Scar and slapped him in the face. Goofy came at the Dark Emperor with his Tornado attack, but the Emperor's darkness forced him away.

"What is this guy?!" Sora exclaimed. Presea stopped to catch her breath.

"He's....He's a monster." Presea panted. The Emperor laughed.

"Heartless! Come forth and devour these fools!" the Emperor shouted. Extending both arms, he started to summon multiple Heartless. Sora gasped.

"Oh no." he muttered. Donald gasped.

"Look at all the Heartless!" Donald exclaimed. The Emperor laughed and sent them towards Sora in waves. Regal had just pinned Zira to the ground when he was swarmed by Heartless. Zira and Scar were suddenly gaining power as well, feeling the dark energy surrounding them.

"I can feel it! The darkness! TRUE DARKNESS!" Scar laughed. He and Zira were soon growing in size, at least double that of Simba. Sora gasped.

"Gah! We're....We're outnumbered!" Sora shouted. Back at the Pride Lands, Kairi, Riku, Timon and Pumbaa saw a giant black spike appearing where Sora was. Kairi gasped, filling her eyes with tears.

"Sora! NO!" Kairi screamed. Back on the field, Sora was soon up against the walls by the Heartless. There were too many for him to break through.

"Kairi.....no....."Sora muttered, feeling himself losing energy. His friends were pinned down by the Heartless too as the Emperor neared them.

"Now! Begone! Vanish into the great darkness Keybearer!" the Emperor exclaimed. But before he could strike, a sudden black streak came through the entire field, eradicating the Heartless in a clean sweep.

"What......What the?!" the Emperor excalimed. Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone drawing a blade. He quickly turned around, but he, Scar and Zira were slained in one silent swing from behind. He yelled loudly in pain.

"Gah! Im....Impossible!" the Emperor roared. He could feel his body beginning to disintegrate around him, their bodies turning into black smoke. Sora looked through the dark smoke and saw a strange figure standing there, wearing mostly black and red, before vanishing away in a dark corridor.

"Hey you! Wait!" Sora called. But he could not get a word in as he returned to the real Pride Lands, back into his lion form. The Emperor's spell over the other lions wore off as well, snapping them back to normal. Kiara was able to help Simba realize his own words and, together, they were able to bring the Outsiders and those of Pride Rock together. They all rejoiced together at Pride Rock, gathering to see Simba, Nala, Kovu and Kiara all roaring together into the sky.

"Gawrsh. What do you think happened back there?" Goofy asked.

"Beats me." Donald said. Regal was quite puzzled, knowing he did see someone in black behind the Emperor as his own darkness caused him to cave in.

"But....who was he?" Riku asked. Sora wish he knew. At his side was Kairi, trying to comfort Sora. But deep inside, Sora felt one thing. He felt ashamed that he was staring down his own death and was too terrified to fight back. He looked down at his paw.

"I can't believe it. I froze up. There were so many Heartless. I'm glad you weren't there Kairi....to see me like that." Sora thought. After the celebration, Sora quietly asked Simba for his aide in fighting the Heartless.

"I'm sorry Sora. I would like to help, but, my fellow lions need me. Together, Kovu, Kiara and I plan to lead everyone into an era of peace. But, just know, I'll be at your side. After all, we are one." Simba said. Sora nodded.

"Thanks anyway Simba. Good luck with your era of peace." Sora said. He and the others then began to leave, unaware that the same man wearing black watched Sora from a nearby cliff, completely in human form. In his hand was a strange weapon, bearing a similar appearance to a Keyblade. Under his helmet, glowing yellow eyes looked down at Sora. On the way back, Sora felt his Keyblade glowing and above them, the Keyhole appeared. Sora swiftly swung his Keyblade and locked it, securing the world's safety. The stranger watched Sora seal the keyhole and vanish.

"He has come far....but how long will he last NOW?" the mystery man asked.

**_TO BE CONTINUED..._**

* * *

_Sora and friends have come far on their journey, making countless friends and saving many worlds. But this is merely the beginning of a even greater struggle coming their way. Sora's adventure is not even close to over. The time has come to reconnect....._

**_-- END OF PART 1 : The Heart's Greatest Weapon --_**

_The Story Continues...._


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